Borussia Dortmund has parted ways with one of its brightest young talents, Paris Brunner, in a permanent transfer, not a loan. Head coach Nuri Sahin has now defended the club's decision, explaining that the 18-year-old was asking for too much too soon.

During the pre-match press conference ahead of Dortmund's Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 18:30), Sahin reflected briefly before addressing the reasons behind Brunner's departure. The young forward chose not to extend his contract with Dortmund and moved to AS Monaco for a reported fee of €4 million. Monaco immediately loaned him to their partner club, Cercle Brugge.

"I need to be careful with my words here," Sahin began, with his comments also available in the press conference video.

Sahin’s Straight Talk: "We Can't Give Anything Away"

Sahin, 35, then spoke candidly: "We can't afford to give anything away to anyone, the club is simply too big for that. I laid out a clear path for Paris from the coach’s perspective. I know the club made him a very, very good offer and showed him a clear pathway. I wish him all the best and truly hope he has a great career. But we are talking about Borussia Dortmund here."

Sahin emphasized that at Dortmund, "we can't afford to hand out anything to young players." He pointed out that Brunner would have had to compete with the likes of Guirassy, Beier, Moukoko, Haller, and the club’s wingers. "That’s the reality, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it," he added.

Brunner's decision to push for more playing time with the first team ultimately backfired, especially when compared to fellow young talent Kjell Wätjen. "I really enjoy working with Kjell Wätjen because I know he has the patience required. He will become an important player for Borussia Dortmund. Paris could have been that too, but he chose to move abroad," Sahin noted.

Moukoko Situation: "I Laid Out His Perspective"

Dortmund also faces a similar situation with Youssoufa Moukoko, another striker who is keen on more playing time. Despite being a U21 international, Moukoko remains fourth in the pecking order due to stiff competition.

Sahin emphasized that he has a "very good and open relationship" with Moukoko, as he highlighted during the press conference. "I’ve laid out his perspective and made it clear that it won’t be easy for him to get minutes. He wants to play, so that’s where things stand."

After a potential move to Olympique Marseille fell through, Moukoko's transfer to Real Betis also appears to be in jeopardy. Moukoko is under contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2026.