Subotic leaves Dortmund training; available for £4m

Sarah Winterburn

Borussia Dortmund have given Liverpool, Arsenal and Middlesbrough target Neven Subotic permission to talk to other clubs, according to reports.

The 27-year-old central defender was rumoured to be the subject of a £12million offer from Arsenal, according to the German paper Express on Thursdayand Dortmund would surely snatch the Gunners’ hands off with that offer after reports in Bild claimed he was available for £4million.

Bild suggest that the player was “allowed to leave training” on Friday to negotiate a transfer away from Dortmund with German outfit FC Cologne keen as well as a number of Premier League clubs. Sky Sports claimed on Friday that he travelled to Teesside.

The former Serbia international is contracted until 2018, but he fell out of favour last season and he now looks set to leave Westfalenstadion and his attractive price tag is sure to alert plenty of other potential suitors.

Subotic, who was a £3.8million signing from Mainz in July 2008, has made 258 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, but he only made five Buundesliga starts last term and he is keen to play first-team football. All the signs are that Thomas Tuchel will only use Subotic as a bit-part player again and the defender is keen to look elsewhere.

“Dear friends, during the last year I realised that my love for the game of football in an active role is too big to just be able to see it from outside. Football is an important part of my life. I love it and I can’t be without it,” he wrote on Facebook.

“I am in the best age for a football player and I want to use my time to improve myself and my team every day. And I want to have the feeling I am needed and I can give everything for my club. That is what I am thinking about.

“I do not want to earn my money on the bench, but to be a active part of the history like I was until last year. I hope you can understand that.”