Historically, Borussia Dortmund has always been a club that has favored the inclusion of young talents in their professional squads. This does not only extend to academy players, but youngsters from all over the planet who have already had their careers turned into guaranteed success wearing the Black-and-Yellow colors of BVB.
Unfortunately, young talents are not having the same opportunities this season as they used to in previous campaigns, and the current situation at the club might help explain that. With this season's disappointing results, head coach Nuri Sahin has been under immense pressure. The former Dortmund legend has been in the hot seat for the past few weeks, with the team sitting in 7th place in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League. This sense of disappointment is only exacerbated by their early exit from the DFB Pokal against VfL Wolfsburg.
This environment is not ideal for young players to grow. Even considering the recent injury outbreak at the club, youngsters have rarely had a chance to start a match. Sahin has even tried to improvise with players out of position, such as Felix Nmecha playing as center-back against Mainz 05 instead of giving a youngster like Filippo Mane a chance to prove his mettle.
Even though young talents are struggling to get minutes with the ongoing state of the club, Dortmund cannot and should not forget its roots and tradition of developing young players. With December and the winter break approaching, BVB bosses should keep their eyes open for these kinds of talents.
A continent that has been a source of great talent in the past for Dortmund is South America. Just recently, Dortmund sealed the signing of Ecuadorian midfielder Justin Lerma, who was bought from Independiente del Valle and then re-loaned to his current club. The attacking midfielder was acquired for four million euros and will become a Dortmund player in 2026 when he turns 18.
Since BVB is short on South American under-21 talents, here is a list of seven young stars Dortmund should keep tabs on in the transfer market. And who knows? Maybe one these young stars could be the next Lucas Barrios or Felipe Santana.