In the middle of BVB’s preparations for the home game against Heidenheim, the transfer window closes at 6 p.m. on Friday. Dortmund explores possibilities, priority is given to the storm.
Dortmund’s Marco Reus against Bremen’s Niclas Füllkrug in their last meeting in February. IMAGO/Kirchner Media
The question of whether the BVB squad is balanced is a hotly debated topic in Dortmund these days. Between fans. In the media. Also internally. Depending on your point of view, there is a need in central defence, where three top players are active in Nico Schlotterbeck, Mats Hummels and Niklas Süle, but behind them only U23 player Antonios Papadopoulos is available as a trained alternative. Or on the right flank, where in Julian Ryerson and Marius Wolf two players are vying for the starting place, who come more through the physical than the playful.
Or on the left lane, where Ramy Bensebaini is seeded but will be unavailable for weeks in January and February due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. Or in the storm, where in Sebastien Haller an absolute A solution does its job, but behind it there is a lack of body size. Haller challenger Youssoufa Moukoko, at 1.79 meters, is a different type of player than the Ivory Coast attacker, who, like Bensebaini, will also be in action at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Limited economic resources
Since BVB’s financial resources are limited – around ten million euros are currently still available – it has been clear for a long time that improvements cannot be made in every area. Especially since the squad is already large and until Friday there will be no more buyers for the good earners Thorgan Hazard and Thomas Meunier, who only play supporting roles. Dortmund’s managers around coach Edin Terzic, sports director Sebastian Kehl and club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke had to prioritize – and have apparently committed themselves to the offensive.
The reasoning behind it is understandable: Without Haller, the statics of BVB’s attacking game is currently changing completely. As soon as Moukoko, who undoubtedly has qualities in front of goal, is on the pitch as a nine, long balls into the center of the attack no longer make sense. There is therefore no passing station that either fixes the balls so that colleagues can move up or passes them on so that the fast Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen can attack the depth. If you want to fix this problem, you cannot avoid hiring another attacker.
Tankard one of several candidates
Several names are therefore currently being discussed at BVB, including that of national striker Niclas Füllkrug, who is allowed to leave Werder Bremen with a suitable fee – which is said to be 20 million euros. The “Deichstube” and the “Ruhr Nachrichten” first reported on this on Wednesday. However, it is questionable whether Füllkrug would be satisfied with the position as a back-up in the EM year. Apart from the price ideas of Bremen.
The only thing that is certain at the moment is that it will remain exciting until the transfer deadline, which many BVB fans will be able to follow on Friday on the way to the stadium. In any case, entertainment should be guaranteed until kick-off.
2023-08-30 16:30:17
#Dortmunds #priority #attack
