Gaming operations are paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, and financial scope for action is shrinking. Nevertheless, Borussia Dortmund’s transfer plans are not suspended for the coming season.
Who comes? Who is going? What will become of the numerous loan players? sport.de highlights the BVB squad situation.
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BVB in the squad check: the goalkeeper
Existing staff: Roman Bürki, Marwin Hitz, Eric Oelschlägel
The situation: Bürki is the undisputed number one in the BVB box and will probably be in the coming season, even if his contract expires in 2021 and an extension (so far) is not in the dry.
BVB also has a first-class replacement keeper in Hitz. In five competitive games, he has confidently represented his injured compatriot Bürki this season. For his supporting role, the former Augsburg man also receives a decent salary – a win-win situation for players and the club.
Oil mallets are only used in the regional league.
Who could go
The chapter in Dortmund should be over for Oelschlägel. The contract of the ex-Bremer expires in the summer, an extension is almost impossible due to his lack of prospects.
Who should come
The internal and therefore obvious option is to order young goalkeeper Luca Unbehaun, who already has a corresponding contract, to order the professionals on a permanent basis. Nevertheless, the 19-year-old could continue to collect game practice in the second team.
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BVB in the squad check: the defense
Existing staff: Achraf Hakimi, Mateu Morey, Lukasz Piszczek, Manuel Akanji, Leonardo Balerdi, Mats Hummels, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Marcel Schmelzer, Nico Schulz
Players on loan: Felix Passlack (Fortuna Sittard), Jeremy Toljan (Sassuolo Calcio), Ömer Toprak (Werder Bremen)
The situation: For long stretches of the first half of the season, the defensive was the big Achilles’ heel of the Dortmund team. Favre’s system switch to a 3-4-3 provided more stability.
Is Akanji about to leave BVB?
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This primarily benefited Zagadou. The young Frenchman, until then outside, established himself as a regular player alongside Hummels. The chronically weak Akanji had to vacate his place in the triple chain for Piszczek.
Hakimi is set on the right side as is Guerreiro on the left. The Portuguese has overtaken DFB international Schulz.
The two youngsters Balerdi and Morey mainly collect game practice in the second team. While Balerdi has already sniffed a little Bundesliga air, Morey is still waiting for his professional debut.
Who could go
Akanji reportedly flirted with a change in the winter. With a corresponding offer, he may be able to leave BVB. The same applies to primary rock smelters. In the event of a change request, the club would not put any obstacles in its way.
Returnee Passlack wants to fight for his chance at BVB. However, his future in Dortmund is uncertain.
The situation at Toprak is tricky: in the event of a class relegation in Bremen, the purchase obligation of five million euros applies. (Too much money for Werder. The “kicker” recently speculated whether BVB would meet the league rivals financially.
It will be exciting on the right-back position: loan player Hakimi will probably return to Real Madrid after two years. The extension with veteran Piszczek is still pending. In the worst case, both actors say goodbye.
Balerdi should also strive for at least a temporary change in air if BVB does not show him any perspective.
Who should come
The BVB urgently has to look for (at least) one new man for the right side.
Thomas Meunier from Paris Saint-Germain is very popular. The 28-year-old Belgian is free of charge in the summer. He brings experience at the highest level.
Toljan, who is convincing in Italy, may get a probation chance. Morey should also be included in the raffle for the vacant position (s).
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BVB in the squad check: the midfield
Existing staff: Emre Can, Mahmoud Dahoud, Thomas Delaney, Tobias Raschl, Axel Witsel, Julian Brandt, Giovani Reyna, Raphael Guerreiro
Players on loan: Dzenis Burnic (Dynamo Dresden), Sergio Gómez (SD Huesca), Marius Wolf (Hertha BSC)
The situation: Winter newcomer Emre Can initially won the competition for second place in the central midfield alongside top dog Witsel.
Götze and Dahoud will probably leave BVB
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Brandt, who partially held the position in the control center in the first half of the season, moved from there to the offensive midfield. There, the highly talented Reyna also attracted attention in the second half of the season.
Delaney has been struggling with injuries since November and is currently just as outside as Dahoud and Youngster Raschl.
Who could go
In the midfield there is an oversupply at BVB. Burnic should have no future in Dortmund. This also applies to Wolf, whose purchase option is an unrealistic 20 million euros. Hertha manager Preetz announced that he wanted to speak to BVB.
The highly talented Gómez is still extremely lacking in robustness. A new loan is probably the best option for both games. Raschl could also collect game practice at another club.
Dahoud, who has never really been able to tap his potential in the past three years, is likely to leave BVB.
Who should come
England’s whiz kid Jude Bellingham could serve as a perspective player in Dortmund. While some media initially speculated about a transfer fee of 35 million euros for the 16-year-old from Birmingham City, it was recently said that he would only be charged a training allowance.
Eduardo Camavinga’s name is also circulating in the BVB rumor mill. Stade Rennes’ 17-year-old talent is said to agree with Real Madrid.
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BVB in the squad check: the attack
Existing staff: Mario Götze, Erling Haaland, Thorgan Hazard, Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho
Players on loan: André Schürrle (Spartak Moscow)
The situation: Haaland was a real transfer coup in winter for BVB.
Until the game was interrupted, the Norwegian Sturm-Juwel was usually flanked by Hazard and Sancho – mainly because Captain Reus had been injured since the beginning of February.
Götze (only six starting appearances in 2019/2020) can no longer go beyond the extras role.
Who could go
At Götze, whose contract expires, and Schürrle, who will initially return to BVB from Moscow, the signs are goodbye. Both could go abroad, but there is also speculation about interested parties from the Bundesliga.
Sancho is playing the best season of his young career (14 goals and 15 assists in the league) and is on the wish list of all top European clubs.
However, the pain threshold of BVB for the 20-year-old Englishman is probably well over 100 million euros. It is hard to imagine that an association would put such a sum on the table in times of the Corona crisis.
Who should come
Nevertheless, those responsible are preparing for a possible departure from Sancho.
Trades include the Brazilian international Éverton (Grêmio Porto Alegre) and the Spanish jewel Ferrán Torres (Valencia CF). Jonathan David (KAA Gent) was also recently associated with BVB.
Tom Kühner
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