In recent years Dortmund has been known as a club that has had difficulty holding on to their stars. Despite being a major club in the scope of European football, the past few years have seen the club repeatedly lose key players in the summer transfer window.
Since 2011 a starting player has departed the club every summer transfer window. A few have ended up returning after poor spells in other leagues but this doesn’t seem to be slowing the trend in any way this year.
Dortmund still have a solid core that consists of Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa, Gonzalo Castro, Aubameyang and others, but there is no doubt that the exodus will prove to create a much different looking club this year. They have coped well in the past when key players have left but never have they lost so many crucial role players in the same window.
If history tells us anything, we can assume Dortmund will most likely again prevail and be relevant in the grand scheme of European football, as they have come back just as strong if not stronger every year, with the exception of 2014-2015.
However, this year is shaping up to be especially harsh with three players leaving already and rumors swirling about more. Despite this, Dortmund has secured the signatures of two veterans who should be able to provide immediate help and two young and extremely exciting players. Time will tell how the team dynamic changes but Thomas Tuchel definitely has his work cut out for him.
Let’s take a look at how this summer has shaped up so far starting with who’s going out and then looking at who’s coming in.
Next: Departure: Ilkay Gundogan