Defensive signings? How Borussia Dortmund are reshuffling their plans now | OneFootball

After the scare involving Yan Couto, BVB is reorienting its transfer strategy. Instead of offensive forces, defensive reinforcements are now urgently in focus - despite a tight budget.

Borussia Dortmund is in the midst of a turnaround in the transfer window. Initially, the officials around Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl and Managing Director Lars Ricken had their sights set on a striker and a creative midfielder. But after the scare involving Yan Couto in the cup match against Rot-Weiss Essen, the focus is now clearly on the defense according to information from BILD. Even though Couto got off lightly, the BVB bosses realized how fragile the current squad structure is in defense.

The problems are multifaceted: Nico Schlotterbeck is out until October due to a meniscus tear, Emre Can is struggling with ongoing adductor problems, Niklas Süle is also injured. Most recently, Julian Ryerson, who was planned as a right-back and part of the three-man defense, was also hit. This left only the 20-year-old Filippo Mané in the cup, who impressed but still has to prove his Bundesliga suitability. Currently, only the experienced central defender Waldemar Anton is fully available.

BVB is considering several candidates for defense

The transfer budget is reportedly just over 30 million euros - a tight frame. Accordingly, Kehl, Ricken and coach Niko Kovac are apparently primarily considering models such as loans with purchase options.

Several names are already being discussed according to BILD. Victor Lindelöf, recently active at Manchester United, was offered, but his financial demands are probably not a realistic option. The Argentine Juan Giménez was already far in the talks before a severe knee injury prevented the transfer. Loïc Badé from FC Sevilla seems more realistic, even though he is likely to be in the price range of 25 to 30 million euros - and could thus exceed BVB's pain threshold. Maxence Lacroix, who Kovac knows from his time in Wolfsburg, is also being discussed. However, it is questionable whether the Frenchman would be the long-term solution for Dortmund.

The time until the transfer deadline on September 1 is short. Dortmund not only has to sign a defender, but also has to realize the originally planned reinforcements for the offense.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.