Borussia Dortmund's striker conundrum: How should BVB approach their current striker surplus?
The argument behind moving on from Niclas Füllkrug:
We can start this section off by stating the obvious; the arguments for parting ways with Füllkrug were always going to be less compelling than those we've explored for Haller. Füllkrug is coming off of a season where he was a very important player for both Dortmund in their quest to reach the Champions League final, and for Germany during the Euros. The German international has shown that, despite being 31, he provided 15 goals and 10 assists across both the Bundesliga and Champions League for the club, and came very close to scoring in the final against Real Madrid on more than one occasion.
Having experienced, proven players is always important for any club, especially one like Dortmund who should be in the hunt for silverware every single season. Füllkrug fits the bill for this in both how he plays and how he carries himself on and off the pitch. So what arguments would Dortmund have for letting him go?
The main argument that one can point to in this vein is a financial one. At 31 years old, Füllkrug's value as a player is as high as it's going to get. AC Milan is reportedly ready to negotiate with Dortmund, with a valuation of 15 million euros being floated as Dortmund's "pain threshold" in terms of allowing the German international to leave. With Guirassy signing, Dortmund have added a player they believe will be their starting striker, which will also have likely unsettled Füllkrug himself.
The Gurassy signing almost lends itself to Dortmund keeping Füllkrug, particularly due to the injury concerns Guirassy has already displayed in the lead-up to the signature via the medical. Letting Füllkrug go would mean that Dortmund would be exposing themselves to a situation where they would only have one striker to fill in for Gurassy, especially if Haller leaves. It will really depend on whether Dortmund really trusts Moukoko to lead the line on his own (which considering Füllkrug's signing last season, it seems like that isn't the case).
A departure for Füllkrug then mainly makes sense if the club is looking to reinvest the sums garnered in players who can either fill that respective position in an effective bit part role, or other necessary positions across the pitch, which there is no lack of. Füllkrug, if he does have any fears of having a bit part role, should take comfort in the fact that if he does stay, he will likely have the striker position to himself until Guirassy returns, which may not be until 3-4 matches into the season. In this time, and due to the extra games the club will be playing next season, Füllkrug can ensure himself substantial minutes up top for Dortmund.