Interest from home: Italy's top clubs eye BVB defender Mane | OneFootball

At the moment, Filippo Mane is forced to watch from the sidelines. The 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund center-back is struggling with a muscle injury, but that has in no way diminished the strong interest from other clubs.

“He has the right attitude, and we still see a lot of potential in him,” then sporting director Sebastian Kehl (46) praised Mane in January 2025. The Italian was therefore handed a professional contract until 2028.

The BVB player described his style of play a few months later in a club interview. Mane emphasized that he “loves defending.” For him, the main thing is “not to concede goals” and “to keep a clean sheet.” That is why he is “strongly focused on defending.”

Italy is the home of catenaccio. AC and Inter Milan won numerous titles in the 1960s thanks to their defensive fortress. But even later, the country produced many defensive stars. Just think of Paolo Maldini (58), Fabio Cannavaro (52), or Giorgio Chiellini (42). At present, Alessandro Bastoni (27/Inter Milan) and Riccardo Calafiori (24) of Arsenal are among the best in their trade.

Learning from the best

“I watch all the Italian defenders from the past and also from today,” Mane says about his role models. He tries to “take something from them” and closely studies their skills. “I want to use these in my own game,” explains the two-time international.

It is not out of the question that he could one day play again in his homeland. In January 2022, Mane left Sampdoria Genoa and joined BVB. Clubs from Serie A have already registered their interest, transfer expert Ekrem Konur reports on X. According to him, the Dortmund player is on the radar of both Juventus and AS Roma.

Photo: Getty Images

Muscle injuries have continued to trouble the 21-year-old. But his coach thinks highly of him. Mane will “certainly be a good player for us,” Niko Kovac (54) said to Sky in August 2026. However, only if he remains “consistent” physically.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.