Borussia Dortmund to overhaul squad with major shake-up? | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund are going through somewhat of a crisis. With five Bundesliga defeats in seven games in 2025, Die Schwarzgelben sit 11th on 29 points, eight points adrift of fourth placed RB Leipzig. Last season’s Champions League finalists are in danger of missing out on next season’s competition, and their position doesn’t look like improving any time soon.

Club bosses appointed Niko Kovac as Nuri Sahin’s successor last month, and now they are planning a major upheaval in the transfer market. According to Ruhr Nachrichten, there is no alternative to a major shake-up, which could see several players leave.

Who could leave Borussia Dortmund in the summer?

Gio Reyna spent the first six months of 2024 on loan at Premier League side Nottingham Forest, but didn’t impress. Upon returning to Dortmund, the American suffered a groin injury while on international duty and has struggled since recovering. The 21-year-old has started just one of his last 10 Bundesliga games, and Borussia Dortmund now appear to be running out of patience with the USMNT international.

After Felix Nmecha’s injury, Borussia Dortmund opted to recall Salih Özcan from his loan at Wolfsburg. Per RN, the return of the former FC Köln midfielder was nothing more than a stop-gap. Since his return to Dortmund, the Turkey international has been in the matchday squad three times, but is yet to start.

Lastly, Niklas Süle is a top earner at Borussia Dortmund, earning a reported €14m per year. Should they miss out on Champions League football, that’s a big problem for the club. But it’s unlikely that any potential successor would be willing to match such a figure and, as reported by RN, a new contract with a pay decrease doesn’t appear to be an option.

Borussia Dortmund’s disappointing performers

Marcel Sabitzer has struggled this season. Primarily an attacking player under Sahin, the Austrian struggled in his new position and could be a candidate for a departure in the summer. Meanwhile, Emre Can’s performances are up-and-down. After being one of the club’s worst performers, the BVB captain has improved tenfold under Kovac, but remains error-prone, and now club bosses have a difficult decision to make on the player’s future.

And should Borussia Dortmund miss out on Champions League football, then Karim Adeyemi, Jamie Gittens and Gregor Kobel are also sale candidates. In the coming months, Dortmund’s recruitment team have some big decisions to make.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder