B-V-Briefing: The Bundesliga season concludes but Borussia Dortmund have an exciting road ahead

Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga campaign concluded over the weekend with a dominant but bittersweet win over SV Darmstadt at the Westfalenstadion. This game marked the end of an era, with Marco Reus saying his goodbye to the club. The club legend has spent nearly his entire career with Dortmund; including a few sentences about him in this briefing doesn’t do him justice.

Reus scored and assisted in his final home game for Borussia Dortmund in a performance that was sure to bring tears to the eyes of any die-hard fans. Watching him climb the Yellow Wall following the win was truly touching. Fans witnessed just what this club means to the 34 year old. The only thing that can make his send-off perfect is him lifting that UEFA Champions League trophy in two weeks' time.

Reus was not the only departing BVB player this past weekend, as Mateu Morey and Marius Wolf also celebrated their farewells. While I’m not surprised by either of these decisions, I’ll still be sad to see them go. Morey was a very promising prospect when he came to Dortmund, but his series of severe injuries have unfortunately prevented him from reaching his potential. Marius Wolf was a BVB fan as a kid and has shown great passion for this club. I think BVB could have kept him as a squad player. Regardless, he hasn’t shown the quality this season to be given a starting position or consistent minutes. 

Two more potentially departing players are Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho, on loan from Chelsea and Manchester United respectively. Maatsen has had an incredibly promising stint with BVB, showcasing himself as one of the world's top young left-backs.

The Dutchman has signalled he’s happy in Black and Yellow but a club record fee of around 35 million euros would be needed to make his signing permanent. Signing Sancho permanently would be even more expensive, making his services more difficult to retain next season, even if he is clearly much happier in Dortmund. If he’s willing to take a pay cut, then that’s half the battle in signing a player from a team like Manchester United.

We don’t need to ask these questions just yet, however, as Borussia Dortmund’s season isn’t over. BVB finished fifth in the Bundesliga, but there’s something special brewing at the club right now.