The numbers behind Borussia Dortmund’s transfer strategy – and how they compare to the rest of Europe

For many years, Lotto King Karl performed ‘Hamburg meine Perle’ prior to every Hamburger SV home game. The hymn starts with the lyrics ‘Wenn du aus Dortmund kommst; schießt Geld dir keine Tore,‘ claiming that money doesn’t score goals.

Boy, was he wrong. The song – that is an ode to the Hanseatic city in the north of Germany – makes fun of most of the Bundesliga clubs, but none of the jokes are further from the truth than this famous German phrase, which is often associated with the Niebaum / Meier Era in Dortmund.

This was not only disproved by Hamburg’s decline, but also by many big money signings in recent years. So, don’t expect Noel Gallagher to sing a Manchester City redemption of ‘Hamburg meine Perle’ anytime soon. Erling Haaland is living proof that money actually does score goals.

Borussia Dortmund have been involved in some of the biggest money transfers in recent history. Despite the club significantly increasing its revenue over the past decade; it has been a struggle to keep the best players at the club.

Sebastian Kehl was recently able to extend Youssoufa Moukoko’s contract despite facing tough competition from all over Europe. But chances are that Jude Bellingham could leave the club this summer. This would add the young Englishman to an impressive list of top talents leaving BVB in recent years.

With the Premier League being flush with broadcasting money, Paris St. Germain seemingly having unlimited funds and the big Spanish clubs spending money left and right, how does Borussia Dortmund compare financially to Europe’s elite clubs?

Deloitte recently published their Football Money League 2023, which is one of the best resources to compare European football clubs on a financial level. Many of the numbers used here are from that report, which is definitely well worth your time checking it out.