The former Chelsea, Newcastle target has been removed from the transfer list after a remarkable physical transformation

Niklas Sule has been removed from Borussia Dortmund's transfer list after undergoing a dramatic physical transformation this summer, according to reports.

He joined Sule Die Schwarzgelben on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in July 2022 after being linked (via Daily Mail) with Chelsea, Newcastle and Barcelona. However, he failed to make the impact he wanted, starting 37 Bundesliga games over the past two seasons.

The 28-year-old – who has 49 caps for Germany – is often criticized for his weight and appears to be carrying extra pounds towards the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Dortmund defender Niklas Sule looks to be in top form ahead of next week's Champions League final pic.twitter.com/LNvOrENVw6

– Footy Humor (@FootyHumour) May 17, 2024

However, pictures emerged of Sule training in pre-season with Dortmund looking thin after losing 10kg, according to Sky Germany.

“I was thinking: My God, we've got a new player! The way he did that is admirable,” said Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke about Sule.

“He is in a very good position and I would prefer it to be a thousand times better when someone sees the error and seizes the appropriate funds.”

??? Borussia Dortmund CEO Watzke to Niklas Süle: “I was thinking: my god, we have a new player! The way he handled that is admirable”.

“He is in a very good position and I prefer it to be a thousand times better when someone sees the mistake and seizes the right funds”. pic.twitter.com/JwLH0YkUIx

– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 12, 2024

Niklas Sule has been removed from the transfer list

Sule's fitness became a problem towards the end of last season, so much so that he was thought to be on Dortmund's trade list.

Indeed, given the excellent relationship formed by Nico Schlotterbeck and Mats Hummels, it seemed almost impossible for the former Hoffenheim man to work his way into the club.

However, a Sky Germany report says that Dortmund are so impressed with Sule's commitment to return to his form that he has been removed from the trade list and will remain with the club.

In his current form, Sule has the best chance of seeing the pitch against last season's Champions League runners-up, especially with Hummels leaving the club recently after his contract expired.