The Hard Tackle brings you a complete roundup of this week’s latest transfer rumours surrounding Borussia Dortmund.
The Hard Tackle’s new series on Borussia Dortmund returns this week with some of the latest transfer news and rumours flying around the Ruhrpott.
With the January transfer window now done and dusted, it is time for the Black and Yellows to move forward and look ahead to the rest of the Ruckrunde. The Bundesliga giants have performed well since the turn of the year, securing three wins in three matches, with the club scoring five goals in each of these encounters.
At the same time, they have also secured the services of Emre Can, which brings us to the same routine of dividing this round-up into two parts – arrivals and departures. But, if you are new to this series, you should definitely take a look at the previous week edition of this Borussia Dortmund transfer-up here.
Arrivals
Emre Can, after being linked with a move to Dortmund throughout the January transfer window, finally joined the club on the transfer deadline day. The German international has arrived at the club on a short-term loan deal, although BVB has the option to sign him permanently from Juventus in the summer.
Can is a positive signing for Borussia Dortmund for multiple reasons. First and foremost, he can provide competition to Thomas Delaney and Axel Witsel in central midfield. His experience at the highest level of football could be critical as Die Schwarzgelben look to compete for the Bundesliga title this season.
But more importantly, the German international could be an alternative for Manuel Akanji. There have been some question marks regarding the performances of the Swiss defender, who has struggled to provide the assurance in the build-up play. Can, in that regard, should ideally slot in, at the heart of Dortmund’s back three, alongside Mats Hummels and Dan-Axel Zagadou.
Meanwhile, in a rather weird chain of events, Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad (via Bild) has claimed that Borussia Dortmund have secured the services of Moroccan right-back Hotman El Kababri.
Although the defender moved to Zulte Waregem on loan from RSC Anderlecht in January, it is believed that Dortmund had the complete transfer rights. He is reportedly in line to officially join the Bundesliga outfit in the summer.
Meanwhile, Dortmund were also interested in Antony of Sao Paulo. But, the Ruhrpott giants faced strong competition from RB Leipzig, Ajax and even Bayern Munich. In fact, Leipzig had reportedly made an €18 million bid to sign the youngster, who did, however, ended up remaining at Sao Paulo. (Fussballtransfers)
Finally, Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc has provided an update regarding the future of both Achraf Hakimi and Jadon Sancho.
For Sancho, he told SportBild, “The fact is: No other club has contacted us about Jadon.” As for Hakimi, he confirmed that BVB will hold talks with Real Madrid within the coming weeks. It is believed that Dortmund are ready to battle the Spanish giants in an attempt to keep hold of the full-back beyond this summer. (via FT)
Departures
Paco Alcacer was the headline departure for Borussia Dortmund this past week. The Spaniard finally returned to Spain after struggling to make himself a regular fixture under Lucien Favre this season – a situation that turned from bad to worse following the arrival of Erling Haaland.
As a result, Alcacer joined Villarreal on a permanent basis, for a reported fee of €22 million. But, he wasn’t the only one departing Dortmund in January.
Jacob Bruun Larsen finally called an end to his time at BVB by joining TSG Hoffenheim for a fee of €9 million. But unfortunately, the Dane is likely to face a similar problem at TSG, where there is a lot of competition in the attacking department.
Nonetheless, his departure could pave the way for Gio Reyna to enjoy a prominent role in the first-team. The young American sensation recently scored his first Dortmund goal, in the 3-2 defeat to Werder Bremen in the DFB Pokal on Tuesday.
However, there is a sort of a bad news for BVB fans. Norwegian wonderkid Haaland, who has made a solid impact after joining Dortmund in January, reportedly has a release clause of €75 million. Although that clause will not come into effect in the summer, it highlights the fact that the youngster might not have a long-term future at the club. (Bild via Ballzirkulation)
