Ahead of the current season, Borussia Dortmund opted to go without signing another left-back after their failed attempt to keep Ian Maatsen after his six-month spell with the club. The decision was based on a of couple factors. For one, the club signed Yan Couto from Manchester City after a stellar season on loan with Girona in La Liga, with the hopes that Julian Ryerson could then fill in on the left.
The other factor Dortmund decided to consider was giving Ramy Bensebaini another chance to establish himself with the side. After Maatsen was deemed too expensive and Tom Rothe was strangely shipped off to Union Berlin, the club hedged their bets on the Algerian international as well as youth academy product Almugera Kabar to add depth, especially if/when Bensebaini or Ryerson needed a rest.
Things haven't quite worked out as the club would have expected however with Dortmund struggling defensively under head coach Nuri Şahin. Bensebaini has proven that he can be a solid piece of depth for Dortmund, but the club begins to look very thin at full-back when injuries take place. Couto has been sidelined recently, which has deemed it necessary for Ryerson to go back to his preferred right-back position, whilst Kabar has not been given any semblance of a role to play as yet.
With this in mind, it's no surprise that Dortmund is reportedly keen to bring in a player to help add depth. According to reports, Dortmund is looking into the possibility of bringing in Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in the winter transfer window.
This is not the first time that Dortmund has considered bringing in Kerkez, with the club toying with the idea back in 2023 when the player was still with AZ Alkmaar, and while the player's numbers at this time leave something to be desired, there is still a talented player in there as his time with AZ underlined.
The player showcased a very balanced skillset with incisive offensive play that was tempered by his strong defensive tendencies. At just 20 years of age, there is certainly room for improvement and a move to the Bundesliga could help bring out the best in Kerkez once again.
In terms of the framework of the move, if this move comes to fruition, an initial loan with an option to buy would likely work best for Dortmund. With Kabar still developing and the possibility of a Rothe return courtesy of the buy-back clause inserted in his deal with Union, Dortmund isn't necessarily pressed to make any decisions quickly, other than addressing the fact that the club needs proper depth in this critical position.