It has been hinting long ago that Borussia Dortmund announced enforcement on Thursday afternoon: Thomas Meunier is BVB’s first new signing. But what does the district club hope for from the Belgian international and how does it tick? sport.de introduces him.
Thomas Meunier was born on September 12, 1991 in the Belgian town of Sainte-Ode, not far from the German border. He started playing football in the club at the age of five and dreamed of a professional career.
After he was sorted out in the youth department of Standard Liège at the age of 14, his project seemed to have failed. “I told my parents that I would quit. My dream had died,” said Meunier looking back.
But his mother Véronique did not give up hope in her son and sent him to a trial training session with the third division club Royal Excelsior Virton. This step went well and so Meunier came into the first team via the youth division.
Since only semi-professionals kick in the third division of Belgium, the trained striker also worked as a postman and in a car factory to improve his low salary of 400 euros per month.
But already during this time the skills of the 1.90 meter man did not go undetected, some video clips testify of his dream goals from a distance and dribbling with artistic goal finishes.
In 2011, FC Bruges finally secured Meunier’s services. During this time he was retrained as a full-back and won his first titles in 2015 with the trophy and in 2016 with the championship.
In the summer of 2016, Paris Saint-Germain transferred six million euros to Bruges and the international left his home country for the first time. The four-year contract expires on June 30, so Meunier is now leaving PSG free of charge. He also receives a four-year contract from BVB.
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What can BVB expect from Thomas Meunier?
If you ask PSG trainer Thomas Tuchel, you hire a solid player with Thomas Meunier: “You can rely on him,” said the former BVB coach. Bad games or even mistakes are rarely seen by the Belgian, instead BVB can look forward to a complete package of technical finesse, duel and running strength as well as tactical flair.
His self-confidence is correspondingly high. “A free transfer international who plays for number one in the FIFA world rankings and is 28 years old cannot be a bad buy,” the 28-year-old recently told radio station “RTBF”.
This is certainly due to the fact that despite his retraining, he is no less dangerous. In four years with the French industry leader, Meunier scored 13 goals and 21 assists in 128 competitive matches.
In the 2019/20 season there was only one template available, but due to injuries he was not always part of the regular staff. But “even if I get gangrene and my leg has to be cut off”, he says he is a reinforcement.
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Where does BVB Thomas Meunier plan?
With Achraf Hakimi, BVB will probably lose the player who can plow the right wing in 3-4-3 alone. In terms of position, Thomas Meunier is a direct replacement, even if he is a different type of player.
But: Since he is a little stronger defensively than his predecessor, the 40-time international coach Lucien Favre would also enable the return to a chain of four defenders. If Favre holds onto the triple chain, Meunier’s advantages in this asymmetrical system would also allow the left wing with the blossoming Raphael Guerreiro even more offensive freedom.
Due to his stature and headball strength, the potential new signing could also act as a right central defender in the three-way chain – in the event that Lukasz Piszczek, who like Meunier once started as a striker, is only used occasionally in his possibly last season.
With Axel Witsel and Thorgan Hazard, two compatriots are already playing at Borussia Dortmund, which will certainly make integration easier for him. A factor that ultimately ultimately made the difference for BVB.
If the designated new signing remains fit, it can become a real fixture in the BVB team, regardless of the position he then occupies.
Luis Holuch
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