Borussia Dortmund is entering familiar territory with one of their prized assets linked with a move away from the club during the summer.
Jadon Sancho appears to be the latest man that is ready to leave Signal Iduna Park. The England international has been outstanding since his move to the German outfit from Manchester City. Sancho is the target of several clubs in the Premier League, including Manchester United and Chelsea, who are reportedly the two frontrunners for his signature.
Die Schwarzgelben will certainly be well compensated for Sancho’s departure and could receive well over £100m for the 20-year-old. Sancho could elevate his transfer fee higher should he spearhead Dortmund’s charge for the Bundesliga crown in their remaining matches this term. The club trail Bayern Munich by four points at the top of the table, but are backed in the betting odds at 5/1 to beat out their rivals for the title – for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
Even if Dortmund is able to end Bayern’s imperious hold over German football, they’re going to be in a similar position as they have been over the past 10 years – losing a key player that will hinder their ability to compete in the Champions League as well as domestically.
First, it was Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze. The decision to allow the Pole to join Bayern will be second-guessed forever by Dortmund fans, who have seen the forward torment their side on a regular basis and allow Bayern to enjoy a stranglehold on the Bundesliga.
However, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brought in to replace Lewandowski and was a huge success. Once again the club regrouped and surrounded Aubameyang with talent alongside him, including the erstwhile Marco Reus. Ousmane Dembele joined from Rennes as one of the hottest properties in Europe, while Christian Pulisic was developed through the ranks.
Although they were talented in the final third, deficiencies elsewhere resulted in a failure to compete with Bayern at the top of the table as well as issues in the Champions League.
The vultures circled overhead once again. Dembele was snapped up by Barcelona for a huge £113m fee. Aubameyang departed for Arsenal in January 2018, while Christian Pulisic was next to leave for Chelsea in the summer of 2019, leaving a huge void in the Dortmund attack. Sporting director Michael Zorc was once again omniscient in his planning, signing Sancho replace Dembele in the final third.
It took another two years to sufficiently fill the shoes of Aubameyang, but Zorc once again knocked another one out of the park by beating Manchester United among others to the signing of Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg. The Norwegian has been nothing short of sensational in his brief time at Signal Iduna Park, proving that he is capable of becoming the next great forward to emerge from the ranks.
Fantastic 04 pic.twitter.com/2gK15I7Vmv
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 16, 2020
Sancho’s potential departure could disrupt the rebuild, but Dortmund and Zorc especially have proven that they are more than capable of replenishing their ranks. Gio Reyna – son of Claudio Reyna – looks to be the next exciting prospect to emerge, emulating Pulisic’s rise. Zorc could have one eye on a former player that has failed to make the grade in LaLiga, with Barcelona reportedly looking to move on from Dembele. The Frenchman was a success in the Bundesliga and Die Schwarzgelben could use any potential cash from Sancho’s sale to move for the winger.
Whatever the outcome Dortmund fans will feel confident in their ability to retool their squad. They have had a fair share of misses – notably Andriy Yarmolenko, Andre Schurrle, and Ciro Immobile. However, more often than not Zorc has had the magic touch and all eyes will be on him to do it once more.
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