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Opinion: What are the pros and cons of Borussia Dortmund signing Marcel Sabitzer?

By Brian Szlenk Straub

SEVILLA, SPAIN - APRIL 20: Marcel Sabitzer of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League match between Sevilla v Manchester United at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on April 20, 2023 in Sevilla Spain (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images)
SEVILLA, SPAIN - APRIL 20: Marcel Sabitzer of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League match between Sevilla v Manchester United at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on April 20, 2023 in Sevilla Spain (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images) /
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Manchester United’s Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer celebrates scoring the team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa league quarter-final, first leg football match between Manchester United and Sevilla at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 13, 2023. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer celebrates scoring the team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa league quarter-final, first leg football match between Manchester United and Sevilla at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 13, 2023. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images) /

The pros surrounding Marcel Sabitzer’s transfer to Dortmund:

In signing a player like Sabitzer, it can’t be denied that Dortmund are signing a player that is very familiar with the Bundesliga as a whole. Having spent 7 seasons contracted to RB Leipzig before moving to Bayern in 2021, Sabitzer enjoyed a fruitful period with Leipzig in particular, becoming the team’s captain and proving to be one of the Bundesliga’s most adept midfielders at the time.

His talent was undeniable at the time, with Sabitzer becoming well known for his hard work in midfield and ability to rip a long distance shot with sniper-like efficiency. The player was also lauded for his ability to press and harass opposition players off the ball made him a crucial lynchpin in Leipzig’s midfield. Sabitzer also often had a knack for being able to quickly turn this turnover in possession into a counter attacking scenario. He was often quick to identify an outlet from amongst his teammates to pass the ball to, but was also very capable of progressing the ball on his own.

An additional asset is the player’s versatility. Sabitzer can mainly play both as an 8 or a 10, but the Austrian international also capable of putting in a defensive shift when necessary. His attributes make him a good player to have from a depth perspective as he can fill in across multiple positions if need be. In his own words, he also mentioned that he’s able to play as a more defensive midfielder if needed, but that he styles himself as an all-round box to box player:

"“On the eight. Or in a double six. Or in a half position in a 4-3-3. That’s my strength, where I can help up front. I make a lot of deep runs. And that’s what the coach wants to see. But I’m also not above working backwards and doing the dirty work. My role is that of a box-to-box player.”"

The fee is also something that we can count as a positive facet of this move. With more and more reports leaning towards the fee being closer to 20 million euros including bonuses, it seems like the base sum is closer to the original 15 million euros reported. Sebastian Kehl has also apparently negotiated a lower salary for the player, which means that Dortmund won’t have to worry about paying a similar wage to the one he may have been on at Bayern.