He was instrumental in saving VfB Stuttgart: Is BVB pursuing a Premier League star eager to move?

Reports suggest Mavropanos is keen to leave West Ham, who are fighting relegation, at the end of the season despite having a contract until 2028. He is seeking a fresh challenge. Sky claims several Bundesliga clubs, including BVB, are monitoring the situation, while other Premier League suitors are also mentioned.

Borussia Dortmund are in the market for a new centre-back, with Niklas Süle set to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer. Emre Can is sidelined indefinitely with a cruciate ligament tear, and although Nico Schlotterbeck recently extended his contract until 2031, the new deal reportedly includes a release clause that could let the German international join a handful of elite clubs as early as after the World Cup.

Sky reports that any Dortmund approach is likely to be complicated by West Ham’s high valuation; however, should the 17th-placed side be relegated, the club may have to lower its asking price.

Mavropanos is familiar with the Bundesliga from his time at VfB Stuttgart. The Greek centre-back moved to Arsenal from his home country in 2018 as a highly rated prospect, and the Gunners later sent him on loan to second-tier side 1. FC Nürnberg for the second half of the 2019/20 campaign. That stint was followed by a two-year loan move to Stuttgart, and in 2021 the club made the transfer permanent for a fee of just under €4 million.

During three seasons in Stuttgart, Mavropanos established himself as a first-team mainstay, clocking 80 Bundesliga outings and six goals. In 2022/23 he was instrumental in VfB’s survival, netting the early opener in the 3-0 first-leg play-off win over Hamburger SV.

In summer 2023, West Ham paid a fee of €20 million for the Greek international, and in recent months the 28-year-old has established himself with a series of commanding displays for the London club.