Borussia Dortmund Reaffirm Intention to Retain Marco Reus and Mats Hummels

Borussia Dortmund's hierarchy has crushed Liverpool and Manchester United hopes by stating that Marco Reus and Mats Hummels will remain at Signal Iduna Park for the upcoming campaign.

The German duo were linked with a move to the Premier League with the Reds believed to be keen on the 25-year-old forward while the Red Devils reportedly had their sights on the World Cup winning defender.

Earlier this week, Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp rebuffed rumours about Reus and Hummels' departure by labelling them false and saying he'll 'eat a broomstick' if otherwise.

The Bundesliga giant's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has reflected the 47-year-old's intentions and backed Reus to captain the Ruhr-based club in the future.

"Marco is a boy from Dortmund. His feet are on the ground and his heart is in the right place. Despite his success, he decided himself to stay. I don't know what motivates him to show so much concern for Dortmund," Sky Sports quoted Watzke as saying.

"We hope that he becomes an icon in his hometown and that he can look back on many unforgettable moments and titles here at the end of his career. He is a world-class player. He is quick, a real goal-threat and possesses great skills. Plus Marco is a leader," he concluded.

United manager Louis van Gaal is extensively probing for centre-backs to fill the roles vacated by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. Hummels was thought to be one of the candidates in the Dutchman's radar alongside Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen.

However, Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc has echoed the lines of his boss Watzke, by denying the departure of the 25-year-old centre-back to Old Trafford.

"We did not just find out at the World Cup that Mats Hummels is one of the best centre-backs in the world. Mats can lead a team, he is superb in building the play and he is a great professional," Goal.com quoted Zorc as saying.

"We are happy and also a bit proud that he has decided to commit to BVB for a long time without any conditions."

Both Reus and Hummels have three years remaining on their current contract and recent reports have suggested that the former has rejected a contract extension.