The 44-year-old scout does not make the headlines a lot, but he is one team member that is most definitely not up for sale.
As has become custom around Signal Iduna Park, the summer transfer window was a fraught time for Borussia Dortmund as they fended off suitors for some of their key assets. But it was not just the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who were in the eyes of BVB's rivals.
Far away from the pitch, scout Sven Mislintat was being linked with a move away from Dortmund, news which arguably would have hit the club even harder than Dembele's blockbuster move to Barcelona. The 44-year-old coordinates scouting operations at BVB, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. The man who unearthed gems such as Dembele, Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski was courted from across the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich in particular confirmed admirers.
Stuttgart have also shown interest in adding Mislintat to their staff, while Fortuna Düsseldorf, Hannover and Hamburg are fellow members of his prestigious fan club. But, as far as Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc is concerned, Mislintat is one team member whose transfer is most definitely not up for negotiation.
"He is staying at Dortmund, and that is the end of it," the chief told reporters, slamming the door on any prospect the scout could leave the Rhineland institution. As BVB have proved countless times over the years, they know a gem when they see one.
With the help of a scouting network that reaches all four corners of the globe, Mislintat has one of the keenest eyes for talent around. It was Mislintat who recommended that Dortmund take a chance on a young Bayern Munich defender who was struggling for game-time in Bavaria; eight years later Mats Hummels returned to Bayern a World Cup winner and rated one of the finest centre-backs in the game. Jakub Blaszczykowski, Neven Subotic and Sven Bender also owe their discovery to Mislintat, but the jewel in the crown is surely Lewandowski. The signing of the 22-year-old Poland international for just €4.5 million back in 2010 represents one of the bargains of the century. Lewa went on to smash 103 goals in 187 games for BVB and fire the club to back-to-back Bundesliga titles before moving to their great rivals.
Shinji Kagawa was similarly plucked out of Japan's J-League to star in Germany, while Dembele and Auba both jumped to international stardom after being spotted by the super-scout. Indeed, such is his importance to the team that when forced to choose between him and a BVB coach, Dortmund sided with their scout.
Thomas Tuchel held a notoriously poor relationship with Mislintat, to the point that the pair squared off in violent slanging matches that eventually led to the latter being banned from training. The root of the issue was reportedly Oliver Torres, the ex-Atletico Madrid forward who was vetoed by Tuchel after the scout had invested great time and effort in observing him and nudging him towards a Dortmund switch.
Whatever the reason, the reaction from the BVB board was emphatic. Coaches come and go; but a star like Mislintat is non-negotiable. Tuchel found himself looking for a new job this summer while the scout began work with new incumbent Peter Bosz. His nose for talent shows no sign of slowing down: The cut-price acquisition of Manchester City wonderkid Jadon Sancho had his name all over it, and is testament to a transfer policy that values future sustainability over headline-grabbing record fees.
Hummels, Lewandowski and Mario Gotze may have left Dortmund for Bayern in recent years, but all indications suggest that Mislintat will not be treading the same route. The scout ignored the interest to do what he does best over the summer, and as his team gear up for another Champions League campaign the future at Signal Iduna Park continues to be bright.
What I would give to have a scout like him at Liverpool. The Dortmund model is what we should adopt since it's nigh on impossible for us to compete at the top level of the market.
As has become custom around Signal Iduna Park, the summer transfer window was a fraught time for Borussia Dortmund as they fended off suitors for some of their key assets. But it was not just the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who were in the eyes of BVB's rivals.
Far away from the pitch, scout Sven Mislintat was being linked with a move away from Dortmund, news which arguably would have hit the club even harder than Dembele's blockbuster move to Barcelona. The 44-year-old coordinates scouting operations at BVB, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. The man who unearthed gems such as Dembele, Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski was courted from across the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich in particular confirmed admirers.
Stuttgart have also shown interest in adding Mislintat to their staff, while Fortuna Düsseldorf, Hannover and Hamburg are fellow members of his prestigious fan club. But, as far as Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc is concerned, Mislintat is one team member whose transfer is most definitely not up for negotiation.
"He is staying at Dortmund, and that is the end of it," the chief told reporters, slamming the door on any prospect the scout could leave the Rhineland institution. As BVB have proved countless times over the years, they know a gem when they see one.
With the help of a scouting network that reaches all four corners of the globe, Mislintat has one of the keenest eyes for talent around. It was Mislintat who recommended that Dortmund take a chance on a young Bayern Munich defender who was struggling for game-time in Bavaria; eight years later Mats Hummels returned to Bayern a World Cup winner and rated one of the finest centre-backs in the game. Jakub Blaszczykowski, Neven Subotic and Sven Bender also owe their discovery to Mislintat, but the jewel in the crown is surely Lewandowski. The signing of the 22-year-old Poland international for just €4.5 million back in 2010 represents one of the bargains of the century. Lewa went on to smash 103 goals in 187 games for BVB and fire the club to back-to-back Bundesliga titles before moving to their great rivals.
Shinji Kagawa was similarly plucked out of Japan's J-League to star in Germany, while Dembele and Auba both jumped to international stardom after being spotted by the super-scout. Indeed, such is his importance to the team that when forced to choose between him and a BVB coach, Dortmund sided with their scout.
Thomas Tuchel held a notoriously poor relationship with Mislintat, to the point that the pair squared off in violent slanging matches that eventually led to the latter being banned from training. The root of the issue was reportedly Oliver Torres, the ex-Atletico Madrid forward who was vetoed by Tuchel after the scout had invested great time and effort in observing him and nudging him towards a Dortmund switch.
Whatever the reason, the reaction from the BVB board was emphatic. Coaches come and go; but a star like Mislintat is non-negotiable. Tuchel found himself looking for a new job this summer while the scout began work with new incumbent Peter Bosz. His nose for talent shows no sign of slowing down: The cut-price acquisition of Manchester City wonderkid Jadon Sancho had his name all over it, and is testament to a transfer policy that values future sustainability over headline-grabbing record fees.
Hummels, Lewandowski and Mario Gotze may have left Dortmund for Bayern in recent years, but all indications suggest that Mislintat will not be treading the same route. The scout ignored the interest to do what he does best over the summer, and as his team gear up for another Champions League campaign the future at Signal Iduna Park continues to be bright.
What I would give to have a scout like him at Liverpool. The Dortmund model is what we should adopt since it's nigh on impossible for us to compete at the top level of the market.