Sources: Dortmund shut down loan interest in USMNT prospect Mathis Albert due to club's first-team plans for teenager

The situation

Sources tell GOAL that there was significant interest in Albert this summer, with multiple clubs enquiring about taking the teenage winger on loan. Dortmund, however, rebuffed every approach, telling potential suitors that the club sees a role for Albert within the first team.

That line of thinking was backed up by the club's lineup decisions for Dortmund's 5-0 win over HEBC Hamburg on Tuesday. Albert started and played all 90 minutes in the 5-0 win, leading the match with three dribbles while also firing three shots on target.

Albert's career so far

The 17-year-old winger got his start in Southern California, originally breaking through with the LA Galaxy academy before making the move to Dortmund in 2024. In 2025, he was the youngest player at the Club World Cup after being named to the team's travelling squad.

He made his first-team debut in April, becoming the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga at 16 years and 340 days old, surpassing the previous record held by Gio Reyna.

The next steps

Speaking to GOAL last year, Albert outlined his plans and goals for the future.

"I do have a big picture," he says. "I want to make the first team and be a difference-maker. I want to be a world-class player. That's the main goal for my career, but also, I live day by day. I don't overthink it mentally because if you jot down all these goals and you don't complete them, and that'll mess up your mental. Sometimes, you just have to have fun. I think that joy is what's kept me playing my whole life.

"That's how I still like to play. I just have fun. It's not always that serious. It's just fun, and I think that's what's led me to keep going since I was a kid, having fun when you play."

Internationally, Albert has represented the U.S. up to the U-19 level, having made his debut with that team in March of this year.

What comes next?

Up next for Dortmund is the club's second Bundesliga match of the season, which sees them visit Hoffenheim on Saturday. After that, the club will begin their Champions League run by hosting USMNT defender Alex Freeman and Villarreal.