Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sebastian Kehl says Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa would be welcomed back to the German club with open arms.

Japan international Kagawa has been linked with a return to the Westphalians, with whom he won the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, and Kehl reckons he would be a more than welcome addition to the squad.

At the same time, the former Dortmund captain warned his club's fans not to expect the 25-year-old to make an immediate impact.

"Of course we've heard the latest speculation - we don't live on the moon - but we were focusing on the game (against Augsburg)," Kehl said after Friday night's 3-2 Bundesliga victory.

"Shinji was a very important factor in our side's successes in 2011 and 2012. He delivered some fantastic performances in Dortmund, but unfortunately he's not had such an easy time in Manchester.

"He's not been playing much and in particular his self-confidence is not going to be bubbling.

"If he were to join us, then he would need to be built back up again, and he would find the surroundings here where he would be welcomed wholeheartedly, both from the fans and from the team.

"He would get all the support he would need to be able to deliver his best performances again."

Kagawa arrived at Dortmund in 2010 in a deal worth 350,000 euros, moving on to United two years later for a fee believed to be in the region of 15million euros.