fear the wall 
27-03-2024 20:04
27-03-2024 20:04
Previewing BVB’s Big Summer Clearout
We’re nearing the point of the season where many clubs are slowly beginning to plan ahead for the upcoming transfer window, and it’s no secret that Borussia Dortmund going to be very busy. Rumors on just about every Dortmund player leaving have slowly surfaced in the BVB news stream, with some players being mentioned more frequently than others. I’ve been digging through the latest BVB related transfer rumors to bring you an overview of the players whose futures might not lie in Westfalen. The list will not include loanees Jadon Sancho and Ian Maatsen. Let’s get into it!
Players who are most likely to leave
Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Donyell Malen, Marius Wolf, Mateu Morey, Antonios Papadopoulos, Marcel Lotka
Potential transfer income: ~ 50-60 million euros
The only two players of the above who can generate a transfer fee are Donyell Malen and Marcel Lotka—the remaining players have expiring contracts. Departures of the players above have more or less been confirmed by the most reliable sources in and around Dortmund. For some time, rumors about Marco Reus not receiving a contract extension have become more and more frequent, and it looks highly likely that our one and only Kapitän will travel abroad for a swansong season or maybe even two.
Mats Hummels is a different matter, as the club is seemingly willing to offer him a new contract. Hummels himself has been reluctant to accept the offer, as he, per reports, isn’t sure whether his body can keep up anymore. I think I speak for most BVB fans, when I say that we all want Hummels to stay one more season, given he wants to continue playing. While neither Hummels or Reus will generate a direct transfer value, they will however free up huge amounts in BVB’s salary brackets, as they are both among the top earners at the club.
Donyell Malen has been named as the next transfer windows cash cow. Kehl and co. are reportedly planning for his departure for a fee rumored around 50-60 million euros. I would honestly be quite surprised if they managed to generate a fee that high for Malen, but he has been making a case for himself since the turn of the year. Malen has been rumored away from Dortmund more than once, so next summer does seem like a fitting time to release the Dutchman. Marius Wolf, Mateu Morey and Antonios Papadopoulos are more or less in the same boat. There’s no outlook for playing time, and with expiring contracts, the only plausible solution is a departure in search of regular gametime. I imagine Wolf being able to secure a move to a club like Werder Bremen or alike, and I don’t quite think Morey and Papadopoulos are ready to be regular starters at the top level. Hopefully they’ll end up somewhere where they can manage to get their respective careers back on track!
Last, but not least, is Marcel Lotka, who joined BVB from Hertha Berlin July 2022. Lotka was initially bought as someone who could develop into potential second keeper at BVB, but he never really managed to break out of the youth ranks. Lotka is still a decent goalkeeping talent, and that’s why it does make sense that he has been rumored away from the club—especially with Alex Meyer showing great performances in the absence of Gregor Kobel. According to Transfermarkt, Lotka’s valuation is around 1 million euros, which obviously won’t make a difference in the big picture.
Players who will probably leave based on circumstances
Youssoufa Moukoko, Gio Reyna, Sebastién Haller, Salih Özcan, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini
Transfer income: ~ 90-100 million euros
Looking at these names is honestly quite depressing, because there are a lot of decent players here. It’s obvious that the fate of a lot of the players above will be decided depending on who’s going to lead BVB as head coach next season. Terzic has more or less dumped all of these players except Emre Can, who he infamously made captain before the start of the season. Can has been subject to a lot of criticism this season, and it has been widely reported that Sebastian Kehl planned to sell the defensive midfielder in the summer until Terzic intervened. If Terzic goes, it looks very much like Emre Can will be heading out the door with him. On multiple occasions, Youssoufa Moukoko and Gio Reyna (who seems to always turn into prime Zidane with the USMNT), have been vocal about their dissatisfaction regarding playing time—and honestly, who can blame them? Moukoko has been used a total of 489 minutes across all competitions this season, and Reyna had been looking so far and wide for playing time, that he agreed for a loan move to Nottingham Forest in winter. If Terzic stays as head coach, it’s difficult to imagine these two players fitting in, as none of them would be satisfied as jokers off the bench.
Interestingly, a departure of Sebastién Haller could open up the door a bit more for Moukoko, although it really hasn’t, even though Haller has been away for AFCON. Haller’s story with Borussia Dortmund is looking like it’s coming to an end. A lot of circumstances outside of his control have meant that Haller never really have managed to get going for BVB, and with Füllkrug being the de facto number nine, it’s hard to imagine that the club won’t try and sell off Haller as his salary is very hefty and while he can still generate a transfer fee. There is really no one to blame for this outcome, and sad as it might be, I hope that he can have a good tail-end to his career somewhere else!
Two of the most interesting topics in the summer are going to be Bensebaini and Özcan. Not because they’re the most exciting players, but more because it’s hard to imagine what’s going to happen with them. Maatsen has firmly knocked Bensebaini off the left back position, but with his rather large price tag, it’s not set in stone that BVB are going to pursue the Dutchman’s signature in the summer. And even without signing Maatsen, it does look like BVB are planning to look for a more dynamic, well-rounded full back for the role. Bensebaini isn’t exactly a cheap player to have on the bench, and while he’s maybe not good enough for BVB, he can still offer a lot to a different team (I imagine a return to Gladbach isn’t totally out of the question actually). Salih Özcan is the last topic on the list, and also the most interesting one (to me at least). In my eyes, there are many different ways Özcan’s future could pan out. A straight up sale is not totally out of the question, but I don’t quite see why BVB should feel inclined to sell him. He’s still sort of young, he’s not the most expensive player in terms of salary, and he has shown to be a fine squad player on more than one occasion this season. I don’t think he’s going to be a world-beater, but I could imagine that another coach could improve him to the point where he could still be very useful.
Players who are unlikely to leave but might
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Alexander Meyer
Potential transfer fee: ~40 million euros
It’s honestly very hard to know how much Dortmund would expect to gain from a sale of Jamie-Bynoe Gittens. Some rumors have suggested as much as 50 million euros from Arsenal, but it honestly seems really far-fetched. JBG is still very young, and he has a ton of potential. I personally think Terzic is mostly at fault for stalling his development so much, but I also recognize, that JBG himself is quite an inconsistent player as of now. I only think BVB would let JBG go if they receive an offer they simply can’t refuse, and with a lot of young wingers out there, I think the upcoming transfer window might be too soon.
It might be a bit of a surprise to see Alex Meyer here, but I have my reasons. Meyer could easily be the number one goalkeeper for a mid to low-tier 1. Bundesliga club, an although he isn’t young (32), he probably still has two or three good seasons left in him. If some Bundesliga club is on the lookout for a good goalkeeper for a ridiculously low fee, you couldn’t wish for a better option than Alex Meyer. What makes this rather unlikely is, that Meyer renewed his contract not too long ago, and he seems very happy in Dortmund (who wouldn’t be when you were used to playing for FC Regensburg).
Who should BVB sell?
What are your thoughts? I’m especially interested in hearing about Mouki, Gio and Özcan. Let me know who you would put on the chopping block in the next transfer window in the comments below!
Players who are most likely to leave
Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Donyell Malen, Marius Wolf, Mateu Morey, Antonios Papadopoulos, Marcel Lotka
Potential transfer income: ~ 50-60 million euros
The only two players of the above who can generate a transfer fee are Donyell Malen and Marcel Lotka—the remaining players have expiring contracts. Departures of the players above have more or less been confirmed by the most reliable sources in and around Dortmund. For some time, rumors about Marco Reus not receiving a contract extension have become more and more frequent, and it looks highly likely that our one and only Kapitän will travel abroad for a swansong season or maybe even two.
Mats Hummels is a different matter, as the club is seemingly willing to offer him a new contract. Hummels himself has been reluctant to accept the offer, as he, per reports, isn’t sure whether his body can keep up anymore. I think I speak for most BVB fans, when I say that we all want Hummels to stay one more season, given he wants to continue playing. While neither Hummels or Reus will generate a direct transfer value, they will however free up huge amounts in BVB’s salary brackets, as they are both among the top earners at the club.
Donyell Malen has been named as the next transfer windows cash cow. Kehl and co. are reportedly planning for his departure for a fee rumored around 50-60 million euros. I would honestly be quite surprised if they managed to generate a fee that high for Malen, but he has been making a case for himself since the turn of the year. Malen has been rumored away from Dortmund more than once, so next summer does seem like a fitting time to release the Dutchman. Marius Wolf, Mateu Morey and Antonios Papadopoulos are more or less in the same boat. There’s no outlook for playing time, and with expiring contracts, the only plausible solution is a departure in search of regular gametime. I imagine Wolf being able to secure a move to a club like Werder Bremen or alike, and I don’t quite think Morey and Papadopoulos are ready to be regular starters at the top level. Hopefully they’ll end up somewhere where they can manage to get their respective careers back on track!
Last, but not least, is Marcel Lotka, who joined BVB from Hertha Berlin July 2022. Lotka was initially bought as someone who could develop into potential second keeper at BVB, but he never really managed to break out of the youth ranks. Lotka is still a decent goalkeeping talent, and that’s why it does make sense that he has been rumored away from the club—especially with Alex Meyer showing great performances in the absence of Gregor Kobel. According to Transfermarkt, Lotka’s valuation is around 1 million euros, which obviously won’t make a difference in the big picture.
Players who will probably leave based on circumstances
Youssoufa Moukoko, Gio Reyna, Sebastién Haller, Salih Özcan, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini
Transfer income: ~ 90-100 million euros
Looking at these names is honestly quite depressing, because there are a lot of decent players here. It’s obvious that the fate of a lot of the players above will be decided depending on who’s going to lead BVB as head coach next season. Terzic has more or less dumped all of these players except Emre Can, who he infamously made captain before the start of the season. Can has been subject to a lot of criticism this season, and it has been widely reported that Sebastian Kehl planned to sell the defensive midfielder in the summer until Terzic intervened. If Terzic goes, it looks very much like Emre Can will be heading out the door with him. On multiple occasions, Youssoufa Moukoko and Gio Reyna (who seems to always turn into prime Zidane with the USMNT), have been vocal about their dissatisfaction regarding playing time—and honestly, who can blame them? Moukoko has been used a total of 489 minutes across all competitions this season, and Reyna had been looking so far and wide for playing time, that he agreed for a loan move to Nottingham Forest in winter. If Terzic stays as head coach, it’s difficult to imagine these two players fitting in, as none of them would be satisfied as jokers off the bench.
Interestingly, a departure of Sebastién Haller could open up the door a bit more for Moukoko, although it really hasn’t, even though Haller has been away for AFCON. Haller’s story with Borussia Dortmund is looking like it’s coming to an end. A lot of circumstances outside of his control have meant that Haller never really have managed to get going for BVB, and with Füllkrug being the de facto number nine, it’s hard to imagine that the club won’t try and sell off Haller as his salary is very hefty and while he can still generate a transfer fee. There is really no one to blame for this outcome, and sad as it might be, I hope that he can have a good tail-end to his career somewhere else!
Two of the most interesting topics in the summer are going to be Bensebaini and Özcan. Not because they’re the most exciting players, but more because it’s hard to imagine what’s going to happen with them. Maatsen has firmly knocked Bensebaini off the left back position, but with his rather large price tag, it’s not set in stone that BVB are going to pursue the Dutchman’s signature in the summer. And even without signing Maatsen, it does look like BVB are planning to look for a more dynamic, well-rounded full back for the role. Bensebaini isn’t exactly a cheap player to have on the bench, and while he’s maybe not good enough for BVB, he can still offer a lot to a different team (I imagine a return to Gladbach isn’t totally out of the question actually). Salih Özcan is the last topic on the list, and also the most interesting one (to me at least). In my eyes, there are many different ways Özcan’s future could pan out. A straight up sale is not totally out of the question, but I don’t quite see why BVB should feel inclined to sell him. He’s still sort of young, he’s not the most expensive player in terms of salary, and he has shown to be a fine squad player on more than one occasion this season. I don’t think he’s going to be a world-beater, but I could imagine that another coach could improve him to the point where he could still be very useful.
Players who are unlikely to leave but might
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Alexander Meyer
Potential transfer fee: ~40 million euros
It’s honestly very hard to know how much Dortmund would expect to gain from a sale of Jamie-Bynoe Gittens. Some rumors have suggested as much as 50 million euros from Arsenal, but it honestly seems really far-fetched. JBG is still very young, and he has a ton of potential. I personally think Terzic is mostly at fault for stalling his development so much, but I also recognize, that JBG himself is quite an inconsistent player as of now. I only think BVB would let JBG go if they receive an offer they simply can’t refuse, and with a lot of young wingers out there, I think the upcoming transfer window might be too soon.
It might be a bit of a surprise to see Alex Meyer here, but I have my reasons. Meyer could easily be the number one goalkeeper for a mid to low-tier 1. Bundesliga club, an although he isn’t young (32), he probably still has two or three good seasons left in him. If some Bundesliga club is on the lookout for a good goalkeeper for a ridiculously low fee, you couldn’t wish for a better option than Alex Meyer. What makes this rather unlikely is, that Meyer renewed his contract not too long ago, and he seems very happy in Dortmund (who wouldn’t be when you were used to playing for FC Regensburg).
Who should BVB sell?
What are your thoughts? I’m especially interested in hearing about Mouki, Gio and Özcan. Let me know who you would put on the chopping block in the next transfer window in the comments below!