Borussia Dortmund is reportedly working on a high-profile transfer. With the Club World Cup approaching and ongoing issues in central defense, Die Borussen are eyeing a short-term solution. According to Bild, they want to convince a club legend to postpone his retirement by two months.
Borussia Dortmund is reportedly preparing a highly unexpected move to bring Mats Hummels back into the squad specifically for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
The 36-year-old centre-back, a club legend in every sense, announced only a week ago that he would retire at the end of the current season. However, due to a growing defensive crisis and the unique conditions surrounding the Club World Cup, Dortmund’s management is seriously considering asking Hummels to delay his retirement by two months in order to help the team during the international tournament.
Hummels, currently playing for AS Roma, moved to Italy last summer after his contract with Dortmund ended. His time in Serie A has been relatively quiet, with limited appearances and mostly a backup role. This low-intensity season, combined with his enduring physical condition and deep connection to Dortmund, makes the idea of a short-term return both feasible and emotionally powerful. According to reports from Bild, internal discussions have already taken place, and although the move is not yet confirmed, the club sees this as a realistic and timely solution to a growing problem.
The Club World Cup, taking place in the United States from June 14 to July 13, will feature an expanded format with 32 teams. To prepare for this, FIFA has allowed the implementation of a special transfer window. While most major European leagues quickly adopted this measure, the Bundesliga was the last of the top four to confirm its participation. The newly approved transfer window will run from June 1 to June 10, ahead of both the tournament and the regular summer transfer period. For Dortmund, this means they can register Hummels for the tournament without breaking any rules, making his short-term signing perfectly legal and strategically sound.
The motivation behind this move lies in Dortmund's increasingly fragile defense. Niklas Süle, at 29, has been inconsistent throughout the season, struggling with fitness and form. Waldemar Anton, who was brought in to stabilize the back line, has also failed to impress. Adding to the club's concerns is the long-term absence of Nico Schlotterbeck, who recently underwent meniscus surgery and is not expected to be match-fit for the Club World Cup. Faced with these challenges, the idea of calling upon Hummels, a seasoned veteran who knows the club inside and out, has emerged as a potential masterstroke.
Hummels’ history with Borussia Dortmund is legendary. He first joined the club in January 2008 on loan from Bayern Munich, when he was just 20 years old. Within a few months, his composed and intelligent style of defending made him an integral part of the team. That summer, Dortmund made the deal permanent, setting the stage for a remarkable career at the heart of their defense. During his initial seven-year stint with BVB, Hummels won two Bundesliga titles, two German Super Cups, and a DFB-Pokal. He also helped guide the team to the 2013 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley, where they narrowly lost to Bayern in a memorable all-German clash.
In 2016, Hummels made the controversial decision to return to Bayern Munich, the club where he had grown up. His time back in Munich was successful in terms of silverware, but the connection he had with Dortmund never fully faded. After three seasons with Bayern, he returned to BVB in 2019 for a second spell. Although this period was less successful in terms of trophies yielding only one DFB-Pokal and one Super Cup he remained a vital figure in the squad, especially as a mentor to younger players.
Now, with Dortmund needing experience, leadership, and tactical intelligence, Hummels’ name has resurfaced as an ideal solution. Despite his age, he is known for a style of play that has never relied heavily on pace. His strengths positioning, anticipation, and ball distribution remain valuable assets in high-stakes tournament play. His leadership both on and off the field could also prove critical in a short-format competition like the Club World Cup, where preparation time is limited and team cohesion becomes paramount.
There is also a strong emotional element to this potential return. For many fans, Hummels represents an era of success, resilience, and identity at Dortmund. Seeing him wear the black and yellow shirt one last time not for sentiment, but to help the team in a meaningful international competition would offer a fitting end to a storied career. It would be a final act of service from a player who has given so much to the club over the years.
While no formal agreement has been made, insiders suggest that Hummels is open to the idea. Given the circumstances, and the fact that he’s already announced his retirement, the chance to finish his career on his own terms with a potential shot at international glory could be too good to pass up. Dortmund, meanwhile, would be gaining not just a player, but a symbol of their footballing philosophy a bridge between the past and the present, who could help guide them through one of the most important tournaments in club history.
If the deal goes through, it could become one of the most talked-about stories of the summer. It would not just be about bringing a veteran back into the fold it would be about writing a powerful final chapter to a legendary career, and perhaps giving Mats Hummels the farewell he truly deserves: on the pitch, in Dortmund colours, competing for a title on the world stage.
