Brentford in talks to sign Borussia Dortmund wonderkid in €20m January transfer

Brentford have opened negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over a January move for highly-rated teenage left-back Kabar. According to German publication Bild, the Premier League club have expressed "concrete interest" in the 19-year-old and are already in contact with the player's representatives. The Bees are reportedly prepared to pay a substantial fee of around €20m (£17m/$21m) to secure the defender in January.

Kabar is a product of Dortmund's esteemed youth academy, having joined the club at the age of 13. A physically imposing full-back standing at 1.86m, he is seen by Brentford as possessing the ideal attributes for the Premier League. His stock rose significantly in 2023 when he was a key part of the Germany side that won both the U17 European Championship and the U17 World Cup. He is now a regular for the national U19 team, for whom he has already made 19 appearances.

Despite his success at youth level and a contract that runs until 2028, Kabar has struggled to break into the first team at Signal Iduna Park. The defender made five Bundesliga appearances last season but has found opportunities limited under current head coach Niko Kovac, featuring just once. This season, he has been unable to dislodge Daniel Svensson from the starting left-back position, a situation that could make him open to a move in search of regular senior football.

Dortmund's official stance is that they wish to keep their homegrown talent for the long term, having only been open to a loan move for Kabar during the summer transfer window. However, the report from Bild suggests that a permanent winter transfer "could certainly become a reality," with a €20m offer potentially being enough to tempt the Bundesliga giants into a sale, given the player's current squad status.

With the January transfer window approaching, Brentford will look to press ahead with negotiations to finalise a deal. A successful transfer would continue a trend of significant business between Dortmund and English clubs, after Dortmund signed Jobe Bellingham and Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer while selling Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to Chelsea. For Kabar, a move to London would represent a chance to kickstart his senior career in one of Europe's top leagues. Dortmund will now be seen in action against Juventus in the Champions League, followed by a game against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.