Borussia Dortmund target Danish striker in pursuit of attacking depth

Borussia Dortmund has targeted Danish international Yussuf Poulsen as a potential option to bring in prior to the close of the summer transfer window, per BILD.

Borussia Dortmund look to continue their pursuit of a new striker this transfer window with Yussuf Poulsen of RB Leipzig now seemingly topping their list of candidates. The Danish International is said to “not be averse” to such a move, with his contract set to expire next year, and would reunite with former Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer.

Dortmund’s desire to bring in a striker to cover for Sébastien Haller while he is away with the Ivory Coast during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) later this season is well documented, with players such as Hugo Ekitiké and Jean-Philippe Mateta already making the list of Dortmund’s “targets”. The plan for Edin Terzić an co. seems to be to bring in a tall, strong striker that differs in player profile to Youssoufa Moukoko.

Poulsen would certainly be a player that fits the mold of what Dortmund are looking for, and while it may not be their intention to stunt Moukoko’s growth or playing time, such a signing would certainly play a part in taking away minutes from the young German international. Poulsen is a senior player that will still expect minutes. He is RB Leipzig’s record holder for appearances per BILD, with 361 under his belt.

The other caveat to this transfer is that Leipzig are of course unlikely to want to sell any more of their players, let alone to a fellow competitor. Their squad has been a revolving door this summer, with many key names having left for pastures new, while new faces have come in and are beginning to settle.

Dortmund’s motivation to bring in a striker so desperately is a troubling one, particularly when we look at the team’s first two performances in the Bundesliga this season. While the attack hasn’t been as sharp as one would have hoped, there are numerous players in the squad that can play through the middle if need be in Haller’s absence, whilst the full back and center back positions are one injury away from being very, very thin in terms of personnel. It seems rather unwise to focus so much on bringing in another attacker when such a glaring defensive weakness has yet to be addressed.

Dortmund still have until this coming Friday to bring in new faces to the squad, and one can only hope that they use this time responsibly to zero in on what the squad really needs. An additional striker right now seem more like a luxury compared to the necessity of additional defensive options.