5 Players Borussia Dortmund Should Sign in the Upcoming January Transfer Window
By 90min
Borussia Dortmund go into the winter break fourth in the league and seven points off the top. While this seems to be a poor return in a division that has a history of generously being called a two-horse race, this Bundesliga season is unlike any for a long time.
For starters, Bayern Munich are only three points ahead of Dortmund in third and the top six teams are separated by just nine points. With several changes at the top already, the Bundesliga crown is well within their grasps and BVB find themselves in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Lucien Favre's second season at the helm has had its rocky moments but the Swiss remains in charge going into the second half of the campaign. Whilst Dortmund are a club with tight purse strings if they want to have a chance of a serious title push, they'll need a tighter defence. So here's who they should be looking to bring in.
Denis Zakaria (Defensive Midfielder)
Dortmund's defensive woes this season have carried over from the end of their failed title-tilt last campaign. If we add the last seven games of Dortmund’s 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign to the numbers they’ve put up at the mid-season mark, Favre’s squad have conceded a whopping 40 goals in their last 24 league games.
The side is extremely susceptible to the counter-attack and the key to this lies in the ideal player to partner Axel Witsel in central midfield. Denis Zakaria is the perfect fit for this crucial role. The 6'2 midfield powerhouse is already accustomed to the pace and physicality of the Bundesliga, having spent two-and-a-half seasons with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The Swiss international is only 23-years-old and should be on the radar of any top club. His ball-winning capabilities provide a short-term solution to Dortmund's immediate weaknesses, whilst his age means he is a smart long-term investment.
The only hitch is that Borussia Mönchengladbach would be strongly opposed to selling one of their key players to a rival at any time, but given the fact that the Foals find themselves in the midst of a four-way title race, with Dortmund as one of the challengers, Zakaria's future looks set to remain unchanged.
Achraf Hakimi (Right Back)
Hakimi is coming to the end of his two-year loan spell from Real Madrid and the dynamic, versatile 21-year-old will be sorely missed should he be allowed to leave. Hakimi spent his first season mostly filling in at left-back for the ageing Marcel Schmelzer but has flourished this campaign in a right wing-back role.
Since Favre's adoption of the 3-4-3 formation, Hakimi has taken it upon himself to truly embrace the role of wing-back by covering almost every blade of grass of the right flank over the course of a match. The Morocco international's pace and stamina is astounding to watch and makes me tired just watching him overlap Jadon Sancho before steaming back down the line to support his centre-half.
The fee Real Madrid will set for Hakimi, if they even entertain the notion, will surely be eye-watering, but the full-back has already proved himself more than capable of excelling at this level, and for this club. So, it seems that Dortmund should move Heaven and Earth to keep the young man in Germany permanently.
Myron Boadu (Striker)
With Borussia Dortmund clinching the signing of Erling Braut Haaland Myron Boadu represents an exciting back-up option to both the Norwegian and Paco Alcácer. The 18-year-old Dutch striker has lit up the Eredivisie this season for AZ Alkmaar.
With 11 goals and seven assists in only 17 league appearances this campaign, the electric forward has proven to be one of Europe's most exciting, emerging talents this season.
Should Dortmund be tempted into gambling on such a small sample size of superb performances, a loan back to the Eredivisie, or perhaps a German side lower in the table, would prove a smart investment.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Central Midfielder)
Anguissa may have endured a miserable season with Fulham last year, but the Cameroonian international has shown the form that encouraged the Cottagers to part with £25m in his six months with Villarreal this campaign.
When given a specific role, Anguissa can provide both defensive solidity, which Dortmund sorely lack, and act as a driving force. The big-bodied, ball-carrier would provide a perfect link between Dortmund's back and front three.
Whilst a deal in January may be complicated, given he is on loan at Villarreal, Anguissa would prove to be a viable option in a number of Dortmund's midfield roles.
Nikola Milenkovic (Centre-Back)
The 22-year-old defender is an imposing figure for any opposition forward as he stands at 6'5. Milenkovic can play as a centre-back in a three or four-man defence and has even filled in at right-back on multiple occasions for Fiorentina.
His physicality is perhaps the best asset the young Serbian has at his disposal, although, spending time playing alongside a professional as experienced as Mats Hummels is sure to increase his footballing IQ.
Now that Favre has seemed to settle on a back-three, cover in central defence is a priority for Dortmund who shouldn't have to rely upon 34-year-old, right-back, Lukasz Piszczek to slot in at centre-half