Tuesday 26 April 2016 15:52, UK
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed Mats Hummels is considering a return to Bayern Munich next season.
The Borussia Dortmund defender, who left Bayern in 2008 having made just one first-team appearance, is currently mulling over his future amid reported interest from Bundesliga leaders.
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke had earlier admitted that Hummels had "unfinished business" in Munich and Bayern chairman Rummenigge has now revealed there is a real possibility of the 27-year-old going back to Bavaria.
"I can basically confirm what Watzke said, that Mats is considering Bayern," Rummenigge was quoted by sport1.de, ahead of Bayern's Champions League semi-final at Atletico Madrid.
"There are three sides to this affair, though, and I would ask for understanding that I do not want to go into further detail about this here and now.
"We have got to bear in mind that he has a contract and I would not like to damage the very good relationship that we have built up with Dortmund over the past two years by making one imprudent remark."
Bayern's relationship with Dortmund was frayed by the transfers of Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski to the Allianz Arena, but the two clubs who have dominated German football in the past six years appear to have made amends.
Watze has insisted Bayern - or any suitor - would have to "dig really deep in their pockets" to sign £25m-rated Hummels.
But he appears resigned to losing a player who has just a year left to run on his contract.
Watze told Sky in Germany: "We have to accept when someone like Mats, who has already played for Borussia Dortmund for eight years, is 27 and would come to think: 'Am I going to play for Borussia Dortmund for my entire career, or will I do something else?'"
"His father, his mother and his brother all live in Munich. His girlfriend comes from Munich, he's from Munich too - so a whole lot of components have already come together."
One player Watzke admitted he would like to see move in the opposite direction is Germany's World Cup winner Gotze, who left Dortmund in 2013 for £32m but has failed to make an impact in Munich.
"He came up through the youth teams and he is highly regarded - also by me personally," said Watzke.
"If he came on the market and we received a signal that he was interested to come back to us, we'd discuss it."
