Borussia Dortmund linked with move for Hellas Verona’s Giovanni Simeone

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly interested in Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone as a short-term replacement for Sebastien Haller, as per Marca.

Borussia Dortmund have been dealt an unpleasant blow in the last few days regarding Sebastien Haller’s health as it was revealed that the Ivory Coast international’s tumor was malignant and he will indeed be sidelined for several months to undergo treatment. The good news, however, is that the chances for the player’s recovery are very good, as reported by BVB Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl.

While the club and fans alike will certainly be hoping for Haller to have a speedy recovery, the BVB bosses seem set on finding a temporary replacement in his absence. The most recent name to surface is Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone.

According to Marca, Borussia Dortmund are currently leading the race to sign the 27 year old. The report claims that the BVB bosses will travel to Italy this week to finalise his signature.

Simeone scored an impressive 17 goals and provided a further 6 assists for his side in Serie A last season, which helped Hellas Verona achieve a ninth place finish. These performances have also attracted the interest of both Juventus and Sevilla.

The question is, what sort of deal would the club be looking for? With Simeone playing such a crucial role for Hellas Verona this past season, a loan would surely be out of the question from the Italian side’s viewpoint.

Verona triggered their option to buy Simeone from Cagliari for 10.5 million euros after the Argentine striker had an impressive season with the club on loan, which suggests that a substantial bid upwards of this sum would have to be presented by any potential suitor for them to think about parting ways with their striker.

The problem with this is that Borussia Dortmund do not have a lot of money to sign a new striker. Splashing a large sum on yet another attacker could also likely further complicate the situation surrounding Youssoufa Moukoko’s contract extension.

The next few weeks will be very pivotal for Borussia Dortmund in terms of how they approach squad planning and weighing their options regarding who will lead their front line for the foreseeable future. Their current predicament puts the club in a difficult position of having to choose between showing their trust in youth or perhaps delving back into the transfer market to bring in an experienced player for the time being. It will be interesting to see just what sort of move the club makes and how they will work to integrate all the moving pieces that may be present in the front line upon Haller’s eventual return.