Michael Zorc Rules out 'Fundamental' Jadon Sancho Leaving Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has ruled out the possibility of Jadon Sancho leaving the club and said he remains "fundamental" to the team.

Sancho has been linked with a return to the Premier League in the January transfer window, but Zorc said on Saturday he does not see him going anywhere, per Dominic Booth at the Manchester Evening News:

"We're continuing to plan with him. He's a fundamental player for us and I do not see any scenario where he leaves us. We have already had some situations with him to talk about, and there have been a lot of interviews in the last few weeks. We are in a good way; when he came off the bench in Barcelona and also in Berlin, he gave us a top performance."

Sancho left Manchester City for Dortmund 2017 in search of regular football and has been a big hit with the Bundesliga side:

His performances have seen him called into the senior England squad. He made his debut in their UEFA Nations League draw against Croatia in 2018 and scored his first international goals in a 5-3 win over Kosovo in September:

Sancho is one of the most exciting young attacking talents in Europe and has been linked with a move to several of the continent's top clubs.

Premier League teams Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all keen on the teenager, according to Tony Banks at the Daily Express.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked about Sancho in a press conference in December and played down the speculation.

"He's a very good player," he said. "I have no clue where these kind of things [the rumours] are coming from, but it cannot come from us because we never speak about it."

The youngster is reportedly tempted by a transfer to Spain, and La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are both interested, according to The Times (h/t Lloyd Johnson at the Daily Express).

Sancho has had a few difficulties at Dortmund this season. He was dropped and fined by the club in October after returning late from international duty:

Sancho was also reportedly benched for Dortmund's UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona after being "considerably late" for a team meeting, according to Bild (h/t Adam Shergold for MailOnline).

The recent disciplinary action from Dortmund had left Sancho feeling "feeling humiliated, scapegoated and unprotected," according to David Ornstein at The Athletic.

There is a suggestion that Sancho may be willing to leave Dortmund, although Zorc has made it clear the club are not interested in selling one of their biggest assets.

Sancho's Dortmund deal runs until summer 2022, but if he continues to produce the goods on the pitch, they may struggle to hold on to him if the top clubs come calling.