As we know, Bayern Munich won their 10th straight Bundesliga title not long ago. While there have been many challengers, none have managed to dethrone Bayern. Borussia Dortmund have battled most consistently, but consistently fallen short of their rivals. The absurdity of 10 straight Bundesliga titles got me thinking, “How can Dortmund dethrone Bayern?”. My mind began to race with potential signings and who I would offload, so I thought it could be a fun article to write. So today, I am going to act as if I am the Director of Football! I will make a few signings and offload some players, and just give my general thoughts on how I believe the Black and Yellow should conduct themselves in the upcoming 2022 summer window. Before I get into my signings, I want to set the stage for everything.
First off, I think this goes without saying, but I am going to keep this realistic. Obviously, I would love to have Mbappe join the side, but that would never happen in the real world. I am going to avoid overly ambitious signings as well; I want these transfers to be able to happen in the real world. Secondly, I am going to acknowledge the incomings and outgoings that are already likely to occur, and build from there. I am not going to make too many signings either, but look to supplement what they already have.
There are a few club-side perimeters I want to address as well. In some of the past summer windows, Dortmund have spent around €100 million, but recouped substantial funds from outgoing players in the same window. In the previous transfer window, they actually profited nearly €70 million, so when you acknowledge that Erling Haaland is likely to depart this summer for €75 million, I think it is fair to say they will have some great funding to work with. I also have no intention of changing the manager. While Marco Rose did not cover himself in glory this first season, it is worth giving him another season. He will likely maintain his post in the real world as well, so the signings and departures will be at his discretion (for the most part). This also gives me some idea of what sort of recruitment I should make, which makes this project more tangible. Now that the scene is set, let’s jump into the decisions!
Out the Door: Players Who will Depart
When we talk about departing players, there is really only one man to start with: Erling Haaland. As much as I would love to have him stay, it is entirely unlikely. A player of his caliber should be fighting for the Champions League and domestic league title every season, and that is something that Dortmund cannot offer. Unfortunately, a release clause of €75 million has been put into the contract, so that is the maximum amount of funds they will get from the transfer. While it is certainly not representative of his true value, it is not something to turn your nose up at. The transfer fee will give the club some great money to work with, especially when you look at the profit made from last summer. Needless to say, losing Haaland is catastrophic. In my opinion, he is the best young striker in the world (and one of the best overall), so it will be nearly impossible to replace his goals. He has regularly averaged nearly a goal or assist per game, so there will be some huge shoes to fill.
There are a few players I would look to move on, in order to make some room for incoming signings. Firstly, I would sell Mahmoud Dahoud. He has played a relatively large role this season, however I think the midfield is strong enough without him. I do think he is a clever player and can do a job, but as he moves into the last year of his contract, I think it is worth cashing in on him. Next out the door is Julian Brandt. The German attacking midfielder is too inconsistent for my liking. He certainly has some bright moments, but for stretches of the season, he can be underwhelming. I think the attacking midfield is an area that can improve, so a signing or two will certainly be made in this area.
Lastly, three defenders will be departing the club. Marin Pongragic will be returning to Wolfsburg from his loan, and I will sell Thomas Meunier. Going forward, Meunier is very solid, but defensively, he is woeful. He makes far too many errors in defense, and is often liable for goals conceded. It is also worth loaning out Dan-Axel Zagadou in my opinion. He has missed large swaths of the season due to injury, and even when fit, he fails to make the starting 11 regularly. At only 22 years of age, it is important to move to a club where he can consistently get game time. He still has some potential, hence why I am loaning as opposed to selling. Dortmund’s defense in general is quite poor, so there will need to be an overhaul here in particular. Supplementing the already existing attackers and midfielders could poise them to really challenge Bayern Munich.
With all of these sales in mind, there would be about €140 million to spend (using Transfermarkt values), not including the money made last summer. This is certainly a great amount to work with! Now for the fun part, signing the new players!
New Arrivals: Players who I will Sign
Borussia Dortmund have gotten some deals done already, so I will discuss them before moving on to my personal signings. Firstly, they have picked up Niklas Sule from Bayern Munich on a free transfer, which is a fantastic bit of business, in my opinion. As I mentioned already, Dortmund’s defense desperately needs improvement, and Sule may be the perfect solution. He is fantastic on the ball and deceptively quick (over distance), so he will undoubtedly slot straight into Dortmund’s backline.
Alongside him, will likely be Niko Schlotterbeck, who is set to join from Freiburg. Although a deal has not been fully announced, Fabrizio Romano says that there is a verbal agreement between the clubs. The 22 year-old German has had an absolutely stunning season for Freiburg and played a significant role in their push for European football. I won’t sit here and pretend I have watched loads of him this season, but one look at his statistics removes all doubts about his quality. He is an extremely progressive centerback, as he lies in high percentiles for both progressive dribbles and progressive passes completed (FBref). Sometimes when a defender is fantastic on the ball, you may lose out on defensive ability, but that is not the case with Schlotterbeck. He is extremely active in various defensive actions, such as blocks, tackles, and interceptions, so he is another massive improvement to Dortmund’s backline.
Moving into the attack, Dortmund are looking to sign Karim Adeyemi from RB Salzburg, and while nothing has been agreed, it is extremely likely to go through. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has already made a few statements suggesting the deal is due to go through, as they are “under no pressure” and believe they will “get it done without the release clause”. In the same interview, Watzke mentioned “finding the new Haaland” if Erling were to leave, so it is quite clear that this new Haaland is likely to be Adeyemi. While the 20 year-old striker has a bright future just like Haaland, they do not play in a similar way at all. Adeyemi is far more dynamic on the ball, and is more of an unorthodox forward in comparison to Haaland. He can move about the forward line, and often drifts off to the left-inside channel to pick up the ball and drive. While I am reluctant to compare him to Haaland yet, he has an extremely bright future and will be a great signing. It would be a great move for the German youngster as well, as the Black and Yellow are a perfect team for young players to flourish.
Now, for my first signing. In order to address the defensive issues, I am going to bring in rightback Nordi Mukiele from RB Leipzig. With Meunier’s departure, a new fullback will be much needed. While Mateu Morey is set to return from his gruesome ACL and ankle ligament injury, he will need substantial time to get back to full fitness and gel with the squad. Mukiele is a top-notch fullback, and will slot straight into this Dortmund backline. Because I am going to continue playing Marco Rose’s preferred 4-2-3-1, I needed a fullback that could provide stability defensively, while also contributing to the attack. The Frenchman is well rounded, and while he typically plays as a wingback for Leipzig, I think he can perform well in a back four too. I think he has gone under the radar for some time now, so it is the perfect time for Dortmund to pounce.
To slot in the right attacking midfielder spot, I will be stealing away Hakim Ziyech from Chelsea. The Moroccan has played inconsistently in Chelsea’s crowded forward line, and because there have been some murmurs of discontent, I think he may be open to a move. When he has gotten consistent minutes, he has been a truly formidable player. I would start him in this side, so I think he could really flourish given the circumstances. With Mukiele running the right flank, Ziyech can have the chance to drift inside on his favored left foot and wreak havoc. These two compliment each other quite nicely, so I think they would form a great relationship. Ziyech often goes under appreciated because of his inconsistent appearances with The Blues, but he is an extremely gifted footballer.
Lastly, I want to add in a number 10 to this side. While I think Gundogan could do a fantastic job in a more advanced role, it seems unlikely he leaves Manchester City at this stage. It took me a while to find a player that really caught my eye, but eventually, I stumbled upon the Atalanta attacking midfielder Mario Pasalic. For a Dortmund side under Rose, I think he would be a great fit. The Croatian has a lovely touch and often finds himself in great pockets of space. While he completes relatively few dribbles, Pasalic progresses the ball very well with his passing. With the movement around him in this side, he could excel. Additionally, he has respectable pressing/defensive statistics for an attacking midfielder, which could allow Rose to better utilize his style of high pressing. With Atalanta potentially missing out on European football, Pasalic may be open to moving on and taking a step up in his career.
Starting 11 for 2022/23:
So with all the incomings and outgoings completed, this is how the team would line up for the next Bundesliga season. This team may not have the biggest names in it, but I believe it will function far better. The current team feels patched together and disjointed, which leads to constantly conceding goals. This starting 11 has a stronger backline with a quality goalkeeper, a solid midfield pair, and a dynamic and explosive attack. Is this a team that can challenge Bayern? Certainly. Is this a team that can win the Bundesliga next season? Perhaps that is a stretch. With a mix of youth and players beginning their prime years, I think this is a team that can grow into a well-oiled machine over the following seasons.
Well, that is the takeover completed! This was an article that I put a lot of research into, so any feedback or shares would be greatly appreciated! I had a lot of fun with this, so if there is another club you would like me to “takeover” and become Director of Football for, definitely let me know! Thank you all for reading, and have a great day.
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