Alcacer set to leave, Can poised to go to Dortmund

With the transfer window closing Friday, Spain striker Alcacer is poised to leave fourth-placed Dortmund, who are trying to bolster their midfield by signing Germany midfielder Can as cover for injured Danish enforcer Thomas Delaney. 

Alcacer joined Dortmund on loan from Barcelona in August 2018 and made a flying start with seven goals in his first four games. His transfer was made permanent last February when the German club paid 23 million euros ($25 million) for him, but the 26-year-old's form has since dipped sharply and he has been blighted by injury.

He has reportedly been seeking a return to Spain. His prospects of holding down a starting place at Dortmund are low after Norwegian wunderkind Haaland, 19, scored five goals in his first two games since joining last month from Salzburg for 20 million euros.

"Erling is in great shape," said Dortmund's sports director Michael Zorc who insisted the club had "not taken the decision in the Alcacer case lightly".

Zorc said that senior figures had to weigh up "what else do I get from a player? What can I still expect him to do?"

With the transfer window about to close, head coach Lucien Favre was more cautious concerning Can as "no final decision has been taken" for the 26-year-old midfielder, who has made 25 appearances for Germany. According to reports, Can has agreed terms with Dortmund, but the clubs still need to iron out details.

Dortmund host mid-table Union Berlin on Saturday looking to avenge "the bad memory", as Favre called it, of their shock 3-1 defeat in the capital when the club's met for the first time in Germany's top flight last August. Dortmund fans hope Haaland will make his first start at Signal Iduna Park with Favre commenting "it's possible, we will see".

Haaland says that he is fine with his current role as a sub, "when I am on the bench, I'm just more motivated to deliver".