Borussia Dortmund star Mats Hummels has blasted his current club, calling the team’s displays this season, which have left them marooned in the relegation zone at Christmas, ‘pathetic’.

Hummels has been consistently linked with a move elsewhere in the January transfer window, with both Arsenal and Manchester United named as potential destinations for the exceptional defender.

He gave a far reaching interview in the summer, in which he declared that he had no desire to leave Dortmund, given the extent to which he enjoyed playing for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

However, their form in the Bundesliga has been lacking.

They have gone from consistent challengers for the title to relegation battlers, and they will have to improve their form considerably in the second half of the season if they want to reach their usual heights in the league.

This could give a boost to both Arsenal and Man Utd, who might see a move as more achievable going into January.

Dortmund have valued Hummels at around £47 million.

Hummels said: “It’s pretty astonishing that we are so pathetic.

“There is no guarantee that it will get better. There just isn’t. Almost every key player was injured in the first round [of the season].

“We have played as badly as imaginable. We’re very concerned. The way we’re playing, we’re right down there.

“If we have all the strongest players back by the end of January then it will be different but there’s no guarantee of that.

“Three or four important players could get injured. Then we’ll have to deal with it differently from in the first round.”