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Assessing the Best Replacements for Ilkay Gundogan at Borussia Dortmund
- Updated: June 4, 2016
For any club, it always is extremely difficult to replace a world-class star. Replacements are few and expensive and can be extremely difficult to prise away from their often mega-rich clubs. And even when it is possible to sign such an alternative, it’s almost impossible to replace a player like for like.
Each player has his unique combination of attributes, bringing a specific role to the team. When another player takes his spot, the team has to adapt as much to the newcomer as the replacement has to adapt to his new surroundings.
Replacing a world-class star is something Borussia Dortmund have had to do many times in the past, and this summer, they will have to do it twice: in the cases of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan.
The latter has spent much of the last three seasons on the sidelines, with injury blighting his career following a brilliant 2012-13 campaign. And to an extent, the most recent campaign showed that BVB can operate without him. Yet with the player having finally left the Signal-Iduna Park for Manchester City this summer, Dortmund need to look ahead and sign a replacement. To this end, there are several options.
Shortly before the announcement of Gundogan’s departure, rumours began to swirl around Sebastian Rode possibly joining Dortmund. Bild (in German) reported on Wednesday that the 25-year-old’s move to Dortmund was close to being completed, with only a release fee to be negotiated.
The Eintracht Frankfurt academy graduate has been underused at Bayern Munich but is a different player from Gundogan and would be one of several options BVB have within their team and elsewhere.
The simplest option would be to look within the current Dortmund team for a player who can take on Gundogan’s role.
Although very different in terms of his playing style, Gundogan was signed in 2011 to replace the outgoing Nuri Sahin. The Germany international was converted from a playmaker to a more box-to-box player who could dribble and pass the ball over short …
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