Borussia Dortmund allegedly target Bilal El Khannouss and Désiré Doué for the summer transfer window

The future of Borussia Dortmund’s squad has continued to come into question from many angles as the second half of the season has continued to unravel. Quite a few players may be on the move this summer, with the likes of Donyell Malen and Gio Reyna possibly facing the prospect of (permanent) departure.

For Malen in particular, who’s form has improved immensely as of recent, the prospect of Dortmund seeking to move him on is in some ways shocking. The reasoning in favor of such a move seems to be that the club are looking to fund a very in depth rebuild of the side. This, coupled with the possible departure of stalwarts like Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, whose contracts are expiring, could see the club have need in many positions going forward. 

With the likes of Reus, Reyna and Malen in particular, Dortmund seem to be already turning the gears on a possible succession plan as they look to target two young talents who could fit in these positions over the long term. Reports brought forth by Sky Sport have highlighted Bilal El Khannouss of KRC Genk and Rennes’ Désiré Doué as targets that can help in the realization of said succession plan. 

In terms of Doué, Dortmund’s interest in the player was most recently highlighted with the club having allegedly considered making a move for him during the closing days of the winter transfer window. This interest coincided with the time frame of Reyna’s departure on loan to Nottingham Forest. 

Since this information came to light, it’s also been noted that Dortmund’s interest in Doué initially started last summer after Jude Bellingham’s departure. Doué is capable of playing on the wings as well as central midfield but has mainly featured as an attacking midfielder for Rennes, which seems to be his strongest position. The player has scored three goals and assisted a further three so far this season. 

In the case of Bilal El Khannouss, the Moroccan international has been exemplary for Genk in the Belgian Pro League, scoring three goals and assisting a further five this season. The player also recorded two assists in the Conference League. He has excelled in terms of his shot creating actions (5.83 per 90) and progressive passing this season (9.19 per 90) and really piqued the interests of Europe’s top clubs. 

Aside from Dortmund, both RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen seem interested in the pair of players, so Die Schwarzgelben may face stiff competition for their services. According to further reports, El Khannouss in particular could command a fee of around 35 million euros, a steep sum for Dortmund to pay for a singular player without them considering the prospects of sales. 

Of course, as this information is just speculation at this time, we will have to see what Dortmund end up doing in terms of the future(s) of many of their current players. Both players present interesting prospects for Dortmund should players in key positions depart and create the need for the club to fill the void left behind by their departure(s). Targeting such players would be a welcome move back towards the creativity shown by Dortmund at a time where their transfer dealings were not limited by their Bundesliga-centric policies of recent.