Why it is time for serious change at Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund will be out of Champions League play soon if they do not make changes this summer. The club has been declining rapidly due to selling its star players and having poor management recently.

Saturday was the icing on the cake. Bayern Munich embarrassed Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Area 6-0. The loss cemented head coach Peter Stöger not coming back next year, and upper management realizing that the roster needs to be rebuilt over the summer.

The thrashing perfectly summarized Borussia Dortmund’s season so far, and it is a wakeup call for everybody involved with the club. The black and yellows need to focus on finishing in a top four spot to play in the Champions League next season. This is crucial to attracting new talent and changing the identity of the club. Borussia Dortmund needs to make the following changes this summer to turn the club around:

Change 1: Acquire a New Proven Manager

This year has been a disaster for managers with Borussia Dortmund. Peter Bosz initially looked like the right hire, but his attacking tactics were soon exposed, and the defensive play took a big hit. His hot streak died down, and the black and yellows soon began to fall down the table.

This led to Bosz being fired, and Peter Stöger being appointed. Stöger was sacked by Koln earlier in the year, and the hire seemed rushed by Borussia Dortmund. Stöger has failed to impress at Borussia Dortmund, and has recently hit rock bottom by being knocked out of the Europa League by FC Salzburg, and being spanked by Bayern Munich 6-0. The club has been linked to OGC Nice boss, Lucien Favre, who has done wonders for the French side. He has also coached in the Bundesliga before with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Another candidate for the position is Julian Nagelsmann, the current Hoffenheim manager. Nagelsmann has gotten the most out of a young team, and they were playing Champions League football this year, until Liverpool knocked the German side out before the group stage.

MUNICH, GERMANY – MARCH 31: (EDITORS NOTE; This image was processed using digital filters.)Peter Stoeger, head coach of Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena on March 31, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

Change 2: Roster Overhaul

Say goodbye to familiar faces, because they will be sold this summer if upper management decides to flip the roster. Some people that could be leaving are Andriy Yarmolenko, Julian Weigl, Nuri Şahin, Sebastian Rode, Gonzalo Castro, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Erik Durm.

The only players that should be considered untouchable moving forward are Marco Reus, Christian Pulisic, and some of the new younger players they just brought in. Everybody else should be free game. Selling all the waste will allow Borussia Dortmund to acquire some funds to get new players.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 18: Michy Batshuayi of Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team`s first goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Hannover 96 at Signal Iduna Park on March 18, 2018 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Change 3: Sign Proven Talent

Borussia Dortmund have the funds to make moves this summer after selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembélé for heavy fees. Management should start by buying a new goalkeeper. Roman Bürki has been shaky at moments, and is a solid backup, but should not be a goalie on a top European club. The black and yellows should make a move for PSG’s Kevin Trapp or Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, after they both have been moved to the backup role at their clubs. Borussia Dortmund should then fill in the second center back role to complete their back four of Marcel Schmelzer, Łukasz Piszczek, and Ömer Toprak.

The club could try to woe back Mats Hummels from Bayern Munich, sign rising star Matthijs de Ligt from AFC Ajax, or sign a cheap veteran to mentor Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou. Furthermore, the midfield needs a lot of work, and there are many question marks on who is staying and leaving the club. The club should assume Mario Götze, André Schürrle, and Marco Reus are their starting midfielders next year, but the club still needs depth. Borussia Dortmund have been linked to Turkish midfielder, Yusuf Yazici, and French midfielder Lucas Tousart. Signing both players, along with developing Mahmoud Dahoud, will help stabilize the midfield. Finally, Borussia Dortmund needs to find attacking players. The club should start by signing Michy Batshuayi on a permanent transfer.

BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 27: Julian Draxler of Germany speaks with Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp of Germany after the international friendly match between Germany and Brazil at Olympiastadion on March 27, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

This would solidify an attack up top. In addition, Christian Pulisic needs to be retained by the club, and should play on the wing. Management should also try to sign Julian Draxler from PSG to fill the other wing. The German international does not see as much playing time as he would like with the French club, and he has already played in the Bundesliga before. Moreover, the club should look to sign AFC Ajax forward Kasper Dolberg to provide more depth up top.

Signing these players, along with developing young players like Jadon Sancho, will bring Borussia Dortmund back to being a top club in Europe.

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