Borussia Dortmund hold 'secret meeting' with Ralf Rangnick as ex-Man Utd boss lined up to replace Nuri Sahin

Since parting ways with Nuri Sahin last week, Dortmund have been actively hunting for their next permanent manager. They were initially strongly linked with ex-Manchester United bosses Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag, but the Dutchmen have ruled out the possibility of joining the German side.

After failing in their pursuit of Ten Hag and Van Gaal, the Bundesliga giants have now turned to another ex-Red Devils head coach. According to Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, Dortmund executives Hans-Joachim Watzke and Lars Ricken held a 'secret meeting' with Rangnick in Austria. Dortmund want the German to replace Sahin immediately, but could wait for him until the summer. The 66-year-old still has a valid contract with the Austrian national team until the end of 2025 and is leaning towards rejecting Dortmund, the report added.

Dortmund are also interested in ex-Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac. However, Kovac would ideally only commit to a six-month deal with an option to extend by one or two years.

Dortmund will be back in action in the Champions League on Wednesday as they take on Shakhtar Donetsk at home, with Mike Tullberg handling first-team affairs on an interim basis.