Should Borussia Dortmund look to sell Thomas Meunier?

Borussia Dortmund right back Thomas Meunier has been linked with moves to Barcelona and Manchester United in recent days.

With the summer transfer window moving into its final weeks, Borussia Dortmund’s squad planning seems to be, for the most part, complete. Barring any significant departures, the club seems set to tackle the upcoming season with the current crop of players.

The past few days have reportedly offered Dortmund a unique opportunity, however. According to multiple reports, the club’s primary right back, Thomas Meunier, is the target of transfer interest from both Barcelona and Manchester United.

While sources continue to report interest from the above mentioned clubs, Borussia Dortmund Sporting Director Sebastien Kehl has come out and said that the club has yet to receive any offers for Meunier. In an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten he stated the following:

"“We currently see no reason to give him away. That’s not our plan.”"

While the club, at this point, seems adamant that Thomas Meunier is not for sale, one wonders whether or not this is the right stance to take. It’s no secret that Meunier’s time with Dortmund has been underwhelming. Sub-standard performances and injuries have seen him filter in and out of the starting 11, and his time with the club has not done much to endear him to the Dortmund faithful.

Because of both this relationship with fans as well as his performances, the prospect of a Meunier departure, under the right conditions, could be a favorable one. The main problem with a departure at this stage would of course be whether or not Dortmund could find an adequate replacement before the transfer window closes. Many of the players that fit a profile Dortmund would go for are tied down to long term contracts or have a value that far exceeds the funds a potential Meunier exit would generate.

One affordable yet somewhat risky option for Dortmund to look into could possibly be Feyenoord’s Marcus Pedersen. The 22 year old Norwegian international has become one of the Dutch side’s standout performers since joining in 2021, helping his side to a third place finish in the Eredivisie last campaign. The player has also made 13 appearances for the Norwegian national team; a reward for the work the player has put in on the pitch.

Pedersen has started off this season for Feyenoord very strongly. The player has put in 1.5 tackles, 2.5 clearances and 1 dribble per game so far this season. On top of this, his pass success percentage currently sits at 86.9%.

Of course, these stats don’t tell the full story, as it is still early days in the season. The skills he’s shown on the pitch since his move to Feyenoord however make an argument in favor of the player, especially considering the type of game Dortmund will look to play with Anthony Modeste leading the line. Pedersen is very good with his feet and doesn’t mind dribbling past players. He also excels in delivering pinpoint crosses, which is something Modeste could very much feed off of this season.

Marcus Pedersen is under a long term contract at Feyenoord but is valued at 4.95 million dollars. It would be a bit of a risk considering the player has only had one season in the Eredivisie, but his age and potential make him an interesting option should Dortmund indeed look for an affordable successor in the advent of a Meunier departure. Either way, it will be interesting to see how Dortmund will look to approach this situation, should Thomas Meunier’s departure indeed come to fruition.