Borussia has no healthy defenders and only one signing

For Borussia Dortmund, the new season kicks off this Monday (21:45) with an away trip to third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. If you asked coach Niko Kovac, he would probably prefer to have at least another two or three weeks before the first competitive match — at least until the transfer window closes. Because Borussia’s management, led by sporting director Sebastian Kehl, has once again been slow in the current transfer window. So far, they have completed only one major deal — the signing of Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland (the permanent move of Yan Couto doesn’t count, since that was agreed last season). Kovač is certainly not satisfied with this; he expects to receive at least two more players who could become leaders of the team. But the Bundesliga club’s executives want to save money, negotiate hard, and will likely wait until the very last day of the transfer window to act.

True, Kehl doesn’t have an unlimited budget. He has to fit two new arrivals into a figure just under 40 million. Perhaps for that reason it’s not entirely clear why the Black-and-Yellows continue to focus on the Premier League, knowing full well that the English tend to overprice their players. Still, Borussia has generally struck gold with players brought in from the British Isles. So perhaps it makes sense that they don’t want to change a winning formula. After Jude Bellingham, and now his brother Jobe, plus Ian Maatsen, Couto, and Pascal Gross, Dortmund now has four more Premier League players on their radar.

Borussia’s top wish is to bring back Carney Chukwuemeka, who played in Dortmund on loan from Chelsea last half-season. The Black-and-Yellows want to loan the 21-year-old central midfielder again, this time with a buy option, but the Blues would prefer to sell him outright. And they are not asking for a small fee, which is why the Germans are also considering alternatives. One of those, mentioned in recent days, is Claudio Echeverri, a midfielder at Manchester City. In the six months since the Argentine arrived from River Plate, he has played only 64 minutes at the Etihad. So it would also suit City to loan out the 19-year-old, which fits Dortmund’s transfer philosophy.

When it's tough - go to Dortmund

Another option for that desperately needed position is Facundo Buonanotte. The 20-year-old Brighton player has a more or less known price tag. For a one-year loan, Borussia would need to pay the Premier League side two million euros, but the problem lies in the buyout clause that the Germans insist on. Brighton are asking around 25 million, while Kehl wants to push that figure down. Dortmund also needs a new winger after Jamie Bynoe-Gittens’ move to Chelsea, and their first choice is Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton. Most of the roughly 35 million budget will likely go towards him — the final figure depends only on negotiations between the two clubs. Wolves insist on 25 million, which Borussia currently refuses to pay. They have two more weeks to reach an agreement.

Kovač can only watch all of this from the sidelines and stew. His season begins today, yet he still doesn’t have the optimal squad to challenge Bayern and fight for the title. Adding to the Croatian’s headache are numerous injuries. The Club World Cup quarterfinalists will travel to Essen with a significantly weakened defense. Niklas Sule, Julien Duranville, and Nico Schlotterbeck are all out injured, while captain Emre Can is not fit enough to play. Since Kovač insists on a three-man back line, everything points to a debut for 20-year-old Italian youth international of Senegalese descent Filippo Mane. Signed by Dortmund from Sampdoria back in 2021, he impressed during preseason and has earned his chance in senior football.