Borussia Dortmund have long been renowned as a selling club, even when they were winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double back in 2012.
The last two summers have been no exception to this rule, with both Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland having departed in significant moves that have raised more than £120 million in transfer fees.
However, Dortmund have actually recorded a net transfer loss this summer, bringing in four key signings (including free transfer Niklas Sule from Bayern Munich). We’ll address some of the key signings below:
#1. Karim Adeyemi (Red Bull Salzburg)
Adeyemi has followed in the footsteps of former teammate Erling Haaland by heading to Dortmund, in a deal worth £27 million. He’ll also be hoping to have a similar impact as the Norwegian, while also matching the success of less heralded forwards like Mitchy Batshuayi and Paco Alcacer.
The 20-year-old is certainly blessed with natural ability, and while he lacks the strength and power of Haaland, he makes up for this with his speed, dynamism and eye-catching movement off the ball.
He has scored 71 goals in his 166 club career appearances to date, while assisting a further 44. He also scored 19 goals last season for Salzburg, so he’ll be hoping to improve further once in Germany.
With both Haaland and Robert Lewandowski having left the Bundesliga, Adeyemi may fancy his chances of landing the coveted Golden Boot in his debut season. If you want to wager on this, use the Cyberbet Bonus Code to get the best possible value for money.
#2. Sebastien Haller (Ajax)
Unsurprisingly, the loss of a complete striker in the mould of Haaland has encouraged Dortmund to invest in another forward player, this time in the form of former West Ham target man Seb Haller.
Signed from Ajax, Haller provides the strength and hold-up play that Haaland brought to the team, excelling with his back to goal and offering a genuine physical presence in the air.
Overall, he won an impressive 63% of his aerial duels in the Eredivisie last season, while achieving a 53% success rate in the UCL (forwards usually lose more than they win). He also provided an excellent goal threat in all competitions, while creating space for others and runners from midfield.
The combination of Haller and Adeyemi could also be fruitful for Dortmund, providing a different challenge for defences who aren’t used to coping with two-pronged attacks.
#3. Salih Ozcan (FC Cologne)
While this may be one of the most understated pieces of business completed by Dortmund this summer, signing the 24-year-old Ozcan could ultimately prove to be the best over time.
A direct replacement for the departing Axel Witsel, Ozcan combines excellent tackling and positional sense with an outstanding passing range, making him the ideal anchor for the midfield and someone who can set the tempo for the side when in possession of the ball.
From a defensive perspective, he certainly has the ability to play 1v1 against quick forwards and time his challenges well, which is something that Witsel particularly struggled with last season.
To top it all, Ozcan recorded an outstanding pressure success of 42% last season, ensuring that Dortmund can thrive during defensive transition phases during 2022/23.
