Bundesliga January 2026 Transfer Primers | Borussia Dortmund | OneFootball

The final section of 18 Bundesliga transfer primers here on Get German Football News examines Borussia Dortmund. To say that the Bundesliga’s perennial “also-rans” had a turbulent year constitutes a major understatement. One year ago, Nuri Sahin’s wobbly coaching regime entered its final throes. Squad planner Sven Mislintat and the rest of the BVB bosses squabbled endlessly over the general nature of the BVB project.

Disaster loomed. Disaster struck. From the ashes of a housecleaning project that ultimately saw both Sahin and Mislintat dismissed stability would nevertheless eventually emerge. Former Eintracht, Bayern, and Wolfsburg trainer Niko Kovac’s appointment initially generated little excitement. Kovac’s initial games also yielded next-to-nothing in terms of success. Kovac still got the team gradually trending upwards. By the end of last season, a welcome normalcy returned.

Where do we stand now? The author would like to point out that – in seven years of writing these primers – he’s never had the occasion of discussing a Dortmund team placed second in the table at the winter break. Year after year, talk always revolved around a BVB crisis that exigently needed to be solved. Most years, Dortmund lay in fifth or sixth place in the table. Qualifying for the Champions League always served as a huge hurdle.

This team – and the manner in which a more discipline-centric trainer opts to treat them – may still harbor their fair share of problems. At least there’s a sense of calm when discussing die Schwarzgelben. The fact that discontent exists among the players and questions about the work ethic of some of the younger prospects almost seems as irrelevant as all the issues facing Bayern that ultimately didn’t matter.

Odd as it may sound, these sorts of things seem like symptoms of a healthy club. Discontent and disagreement stem from passion. Persistent internal problems merely mean that another useful housecleaning is on the way. Perhaps, for once, this club can stick to something of an unpopular path and simply ignore the sensational and reactionist headlines that pose no real threat to them. Perhaps, for once, Dortmund are prepared to be a bit more like Bayern.

Borussia Dortmund

Poor results near the end of the year notwithstanding, job well done!

Winter Predictions Check, Borussia Dortmund

Predicted Table Position – 3rd place

Actual Table Position – 2nd place, 32 points

(9-W, 5-D, 1-L)

(+14 G-Diff)

Getting dumped out of the Pokal by Leverkusen wasn’t ideal, but picking up points against die Werkself days before still counts for a lot. So too does getting the job done with six league points plucked off Hoffenheim and Gladbach in December. The two Bundesliga opponents awaiting at the end of the Hin-Runde (Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen) possess serious problems of their own. Via the magic of comparison at least, Dortmund look the stable club. Six Bundesliga points to conclude the Hin and a soft enough schedule to start the Rück might mean this January proves the inverse of the last.

Dortmund’s upcoming UCL opponents (Tottenham and Inter Milan) are, naturally, a very different matter entirely. BVB enthusiasts accustomed to reckoning with dire predictions from this author and everyone else can claim their latest dose of pessimism here. This isn’t the year for Europe. Remain content with success in the Bundesliga table. Furthermore, allow said success to override all the other jive that ultimately doesn’t matter in the end. Karim Adeyemi’s legal troubles and Mark Bellingham’s antics truly don’t matter.

Autumn Transfer Assessment, Borussia Dortmund

Estimated Summer Transfer Balance = -€27m

This Bundesliga beat reporter consciously saved Dortmund for last this year. Why? Because assessing the BVB transfer class happens to be one seriously difficult assignment this time around. Few Bundesliga clubs have ever turned in a class as weird as this one. Apart from the case of wingback Daniel Svensson’s permanent purchase (a definite “hit”), every other case remains highly nebulous. Strong arguments can be made for and against each individual player. The criteria also shifts rapidly.

At this point, one can probably label Yan Couto a solid move. The fact that it took so long to ripen can be as salient as one chooses. Hell, now that Ramy Bensebaini is finally beginning to live up to his potential for this club, one can make the case that it doesn’t matter if it literally takes years for transfers to work. Bearing that in mind, Fabio Silva suddenly begins to look good. The poor maligned striker needed this winter break less than may any other player in the Bundesliga.

The late deal to bring Chelsea defender Aarón Anselmino in on loan worked out quite well, but now that we know that Lars Ricken and Sebastian Kehl botched the details of the loan contract, can we truly call it a success? The author effectively surrenders when it comes to the matter of Anselmino’s teammate Carney Chukwuemeka. The wild oscillation in the Englishman’s fitness levels are simply unprecedented. Chukwuemeka has a minimum of five personalities. A minimum of three typically end up surfacing in any given match. 

The case of Jobe Bellingham simply screams for mercy. One tires of reporting on different ways in which Jobe has failed to emulate his brother. He isn’t his brother. The kid absolutely deserves some time to find his feet. Mark Bellingham also wasn’t necessarily wrong for pointing out that Kovac should try and find a consistent role for his son tactically.Incidentally, “Papa Bellingham” pointed that out after the first match of the season. Some time having passed, Kovac might consider beginning to contemplate that there was a point in there. 

Overall, one probably has to say that Kehl and Ricken didn’t do all that great of a job with this summer’s transfer class. True, the club’s participation in the Club World Cup meant that they got off to a delayed start. A negative transfer balance following a summer in which Jamie Gittens fetched upwards of €65m still just plain sucks. Way too much money was thrown after average players. The author never understood why this club needs so many damned personnel bosses or even what the hell Lars Ricken was brought in to do. 

Kehl is (in the opinion of this columnist) a very competent sporting executive. 

Let him do his job unencumbered!

Dead Weight Ledger and Expiring Contracts, Borussia Dortmund

Reliable rumors suggest that all four young players on the “dead weight ledger” will be parked somewhere. Hamburg are linked with Almugera Kabar as a means of shoring up their central defense. Stuttgart and Frankfurt remain interested in Cole Campbell. The American is also linked with loans to Belgian Pro League outfits. Both Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen still like the idea of taking Julien Duranville on. Filippo Mané could end up in the 2. Bundesliga or down south in the Serie A. 

The matter of expiring contracts proves problematic as Dortmund have been trying to get their notoriously exorbitant salaries under control for years. Accordingly, Pascal Groß, Niklas Süle, and Julian Brandt won’t be tendered renewal offers at all. It doesn’t appear as if any member of that trio is headed elsewhere during the January window, unless there’s indeed something to the rumors suggesting Brandt may be in line for a return to Leverkusen. Dependable sources report that Salih Özcan is already headed to Turkey. 

Difficult as it may be to fathom, Dortmund do wish to extend with captain Emré Can. The 31-year-old’s high profile mistakes and repeated struggles with injury in recent years don’t totally mean that he’s of no value to the club. Most Bundesliga watchers believe that Can will re-up and then relinquish the BVB captaincy. Can truly remains a valuable presence in the locker room, not to mention a very knowledgeable footballer with a great personality. He should stay to help mentor the next genaration.

Dead-Weight Ledger = Almugera Kabar (CB), Filippo Mané (CB), Cole Campbell (RW), Julien Duranville (LW)

Expiring Contracts  = Emré Can (CB), Niklas Süle (CB), Salih Özcan (DM), Pascal Groß (CM), Julian Brandt (ATTM)

Further Needs and Rumored Links, Borussia Dortmund

Despite the fact that this squad needs help just about everywhere, reliable incoming links are scarce. Some German publications even suggest that the previous transfer deficit will keep Dortmund largely standing pat over the course of the next month. That’s impossible to believe due to the fact that they desperately need help on the attacking flanks. The Oscar Bobb rumors do appear to have some heft behind them.

The author’s bold prediction revolves around Kehl picking up some more flexible wide men, much in the way he did with Julian Ryerson three years ago. Ryerson may even be sold to free up some cash. If Heidenheim’s Omar Haktab Traoré ends up being the first rail-player Kehl procures, the author might be confused for someone who knows what he’s talking about. 

Further Needs = GK LB, CB, RB, ADM, CM, ATTM, LW, RW, CF, LS

Rumored Links = Victor Valdepenas (CB), Loun Srdanovic (RB), Hugo Larsson (CM), Oscar Bobb (RW)

GGFN | Peter Weis