Top German journalist shares if he expects Julian Brandt to join Leeds United
A move to the Premier League for Leeds United-linked Julian Brandt may not be in his best interest, MOT Leeds News has been told.
The 30-year-old is a free agent after leaving Borussia Dortmund upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Leeds have made their first transfer breakthrough of the summer in the shape of Harry Wilson, and Daniel Farke will be hoping to follow that up with more soon.
Brandt is an attacking midfielder by trade, and has scored 57 times in 307 competitive career appearances for Dortmund.
The Whites have been strongly linked with acquiring his services for a number of weeks now, and it would certainly be one of the more higher profile free transfers in recent windows.
However, fresh doubt has been cast over whether the 48-cap German international will be keen on a move to Elland Road.
Why Julian Brandt and Leeds would be better off without one another
Given his experience and reputation, many Leeds supporters would undoubtedly be excited to see Brandt sign this summer.
Indeed, MOT Leeds News has explored how the Whites could get the best out of Brandt if he was to make the move to Elland Road.
But according to Kevin Pinnow, a widely-respected Borussia Dortmund reporter for the Black and Yellow's leading independent news outlet Ruhr Nachrichten, the Premier League maybe isn't the wisest choice Brandt could make on his future.
"Given how physical the Premier League is, I have my doubts about whether a move to England would be the right choice," Pinnow exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
"With his playing style, he’s generally a better fit for Spain or Italy, where the ball moves a lot and there are fewer intense duels.
"Nevertheless, he’s a player who is certainly capable of rising to such a challenge. And I’m sure that even at this stage of his career, he still has a lot to offer—which he can put to good use at Leeds."
Brandt signing for Leeds would without doubt split opinion amongst Whites fans, but there is also one trait of his game that Pinnow has detailed which may well make many minds up.
The worrying red flag Brandt would bring to Leeds
For a player who has been with Dortmund since the summer of 2019, Brandt has a significant sample size of work to analyse and form opinions from.
Clearly, to have made over 300 appearances for Borussia and provide double-digit goal contributions in six of his seven seasons there, he's obviously a player with plenty of ability.
Pinnow doesn't question this either, and it's actually his talent level - as well as one alarming tendency in his game - that has made his Dortmund career considerably more frustrating.
"Reactions among BVB fans were extremely divided (upon news of Brandt leaving). Many regret his departure," Pinnow continued.
"He had become the longest-serving player in Dortmund, consistently contributing around 20 goals and assists per season, and was also the player who created those special moments.
"However, many also believe that parting ways was important and the right decision—because (given his playing abilities) he never reached his full potential and often completely disappeared in many games.
"Accordingly, many were hoping for a fresh start at this key position. Ultimately, his time at the club was certainly not as successful as everyone involved had hoped—the only trophy was a DFB Cup (won during the COVID-19 pandemic)."
So, we can take from Pinnow's detailed analysis of Brandt's time at Signal Iduna Park that he's certainly a good player, and one that would have the potential to be an important contributor for Leeds.
On the flip side, he's also seemingly a player who would excite and frustrate in equal measure, and could have passenger potential if he's not able to impact a match by way of goal contributions.
The overriding message then? Leeds should perhaps proceed with caution here, and only sanction a deal if his wage demands aren't excessive.