Hummels reveals: the Champions League winner he wanted at BVB | OneFootball

BVB legend Mats Hummels has revealed which two Gladbach stars he once wanted to bring to Borussia Dortmund – and why only one of them actually ended up in Dortmund.

Mats Hummels has offered fascinating insights into his time at Borussia Dortmund and revealed that back then, he was involved not only on the pitch but also in potential transfers. During a conversation on MagentaTV, the former Germany international said he tried to convince two Borussia Mönchengladbach players to join BVB – though with mixed success.

“I once tried to recruit teammates. I tried it with two Gladbach players. One came, one didn’t,” Hummels said in conversation with presenter Laura Wontorra. One of the two players did indeed choose Dortmund: Marco Reus.

The attacking player returned to BVB in the summer of 2012 for around €17 million and went on to shape the club for twelve years before continuing his career in MLS with LA Galaxy. Hummels, however, was unsuccessful with his second preferred target. “The other one was Marc-André ter Stegen. I would have liked to see him in Dortmund too,” the 2014 World Cup winner revealed.

Hummels wanted to lure ter Stegen to BVB

The goalkeeper instead chose FC Barcelona two years later. There, ter Stegen developed into one of Europe’s most successful keepers and won, among other things, the Champions League as well as numerous domestic titles. He has now moved to Ajax Amsterdam. Hummels, however, is taking the missed signing in good humor. Referring to ter Stegen’s decision, he said: “He didn’t do too badly with Barca either – to be completely honest.”

Photo: IMAGO

Hummels’ active involvement in transfer matters was apparently no exception. The former center-back had previously said that he had also pushed for the signing of striker Edin Dzeko, who moved to FC Schalke 04 in the winter. The Bosnian had impressed him for a long time, which is why he repeatedly suggested him as a reinforcement at his clubs.

Hummels ended his playing career in the summer of 2025. During the current World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, the 37-year-old is working as a TV pundit for MagentaTV, where he regularly attracts attention with anecdotes from his successful career.

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