Borussia Dortmund have identified Kempf as a potential defensive addition this summer, with the Como centre-back entering the final year of his contract and a salary dispute making his situation at the club uncertain, according to TMW.
Kempf, 31, was one of Como's most consistent performers last season, accumulating 2,630 minutes — more than fellow centre-back Diego Carlos — and earning strong backing from Cesc Fàbregas, who had rejected approaches for the German the previous summer.
Dortmund are now monitoring him with the knowledge that his contract expires in 2027 and requires renewal in the near future, and that Nico Schlotterbeck's World Cup ankle injury has left them short at centre-back.
Kempf himself wants to stay at Como. He has made that preference clear to the club and to Fàbregas, who values him highly within the project. The problem is money. The personal terms the German is seeking exceed what Como want to pay, with the club looking to reduce rather than increase his current gross salary of €2.22 million.
If no compromise can be found, sporting director Carlalberto Ludi would consider a permanent sale before the end of the summer rather than allow the situation to drift toward a free transfer in 2027. Dortmund — who tend to operate in the value end of the centre-back market — regard the combination of Kempf's availability, pedigree and contract position as an attractive proposition.
The resolution is likely to arrive quickly, with both parties understanding that uncertainty extending into pre-season serves neither side.