BORUSSIA DORTMUND chiefs have hit back at claims from former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness that their transfer policy is "not clever".
Hoeness sparked the bitter row by suggesting that BVB's transfer model is centred around selling their best players.
He said: "When Dortmund buys a highly talented player and he plays well, a few months later you hear either from the club itself or from the outside, that he will be presented as put up for sale at some point.
"How is a player supposed to absorb the DNA of a club one hundred per cent, when he has the feeling that he's up for sale?"
This comes as Manchester United close in on landing Jadon Sancho in a record £110million deal, three years after Dortmund poached him from Manchester City's academy.
BVB's sporting director Michael Zorc was among those to slam the claims, blasting Hoeness as "arrogant" given Bayern's megabucks finances.
He said: "I find the comments quite arrogant. If you have €250million (£225m) more in your pocket every year, it's easy to throw money around. Some of it is also de facto incorrect."
Former Dortmund keeper, and now the club's international ambassador, Roman Weidenfeller has also waded in.
He suggested that Hoeness' comments come from a place of jealousy after Jude Bellingham turned down a stunning last- minute bid from the Bavarians before sealing his £30million move to Dortmund.
Weidenfeller said: "It again seems to be a case of deep-set frustration over the fact that Jude Bellingham decided against Bayern and for BVB."
Dortmund president Reinhard Raubell found the timing of Hoeness' comments strange, given that the Bundesliga champions return to action in the Champions League on Saturday against Chelsea.
He said: "It would have been better if Uli Hoeness had kept his statements to himself. The timing is also very strange, Bayern has the Champions League next week after all and actually better things to do."
While BVB chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke – who is close pals with Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – is worried the comments have tarnished the relationship between both clubs.
He said: "Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and I have worked for years so that the two biggest German clubs have a respectful relationship with one another.
"I think it's very much a shame that an attempt is made to undermine that at regular intervals."
Dortmund reportedly want any deal for Sancho sorted by August 10, when they head to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp.
It is understood the winger will earn a basic wage of £350,000-a-week in Manchester, according to Bild.
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