Should Borussia Dortmund look to replace Raphaël Guerreiro with David Raum?
Borussia Dortmund’s upheaval seems to grow more drastic week to week, with a number of new players being announced in such a short span of time since the end of the season. Many others are being suggested as potential departures, with Raphaël Guerreiro among those who may be leaving the Westfalenstadion before the new season begins.
A potential transfer for Raphaël Guerreiro seemed almost an impossibility in the past. The Portuguese international is both a fan favorite and one of Borussia Dortmund’s most technically gifted footballers. Just three months ago, he adamantly stated that he feels comfortable in Dortmund, and that he would be willing to extend his contract with Die Schwarzgelben.
A lot has changed in those three months however. Marco Rose is not at the helm anymore, and overall sub-par performances have led the club down a path where wholesale restructuring seems to be the the overarching goal of this summer’s transfer window. Guerreiro, while one of the club’s most talented players, was part of the pool of players that underperformed this season, but in the grand scheme of generating funds for an overall restructuring would be one of the more lucrative options to sell, should the club choose to do so.
On the flip side, one could look at this season as an overall mass underperformance by many of the players, be it due to little consistency in the starting XI, or injuries that kept important players out for long stints. Rapha was one of the hardest hit in this area, as he missed a total of 87 days, or 21 matches, which would of course have a substantial impact on anyone’s ability to find a consistent run of form. In this same vein, these chronic injuries could also point towards a separation as Borussia Dortmund look to build a healthier, more dependable squad.
As of now, Guerreiro has seemingly been linked with a move to Barcelona, which would free up the space and funds for Borussia Dortmund to look into purchasing a new starting left back. The main target to potentially replace Rapha could be one David Raum of Hoffenheim. The German international is coming off an impressive season and would fit Dortmund’s new prerogative of adding more German internationals to their lineup. Not coincidentally, the addition of Raum could see Dortmund have 3 out of 4 defenders in Germany’s back-line play for the club, having already secured the signatures of Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck.
The only question that remains is just how much of an improvement would Raum be over Guerreiro, and is the transfer really worth it aside from adding another German international to the side? Let’s take a more in depth look at how these two players compare and what their stats suggest.