Runner-up invests big
BVB fixes expensive royal transfer Haller
06/23/2022, 4:00 p.m
Borussia Dortmund digs deep into their pockets for a top striker: Sébastien Haller is moving back to the Bundesliga from Ajax Amsterdam and is supposed to close the gap that Erling Haaland’s move to the BVB offensive had torn.
Borussia Dortmund has found a replacement for top striker Erling Haaland, who has switched to Manchester City: Sébastien Haller will go on the hunt for goals for the Bundesliga club in the future. The transfer had already been announced in the past few days, and now Borussia Dortmund has reported completion. The attacker from Ivory Coast comes from Ajax Amsterdam and signed a contract until 2026. The clubs did not provide any information about the transfer fee, according to information from Sky it should be 31 million euros plus up to four million euros in bonus payments.
“The top priority is that he scores goals,” BVB Managing Director Hans-Joachim Watzke previously described the challenge of finding a striker. And with Sébastien Haller, a real goalscorer is returning to the Bundesliga: he scored 73 goals in 132 first division games for FC Utrecht and Amsterdam. There are also eleven goals in eight Champions League games for Ajax. The 1.90 meter tall attacker had surprisingly won the DFB Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018, and the following year Haller shot the Hessians into the Europa League with 15 goals in 29 games. In 2019, the striker, who together with Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic formed the “buffalo herd” celebrated by the fans for their offensive power, switched to West Ham United in the Premier League for 50 million euros, from January 2021 the 28- Year-old then for Ajax Amsterdam. After a strange start, the club accidentally did not register him for the Europa League, he quickly asserted himself in the Dutch metropolis.
“No financial risk”
Borussia Dortmund, which had received a fixed fee of 75 million euros for the change from superstar Erling Haaland, is investing further with Haller’s commitment: the runner-up had previously signed for the German national players Nico Schlotterbeck and Karim Adeyemi as well as Salih Özcan from 1 .FC Köln deep in their pockets. No transfer fees are officially communicated, but the trio cost the club well over 50 million euros.
DFB defender Niklas Süle is coming on a free transfer from FC Bayern Munich, but the national player immediately joins his new club as one of the top earners. “Dortmund wants to take the next step, and that’s exactly what I want too. These are big goals, and I should be responsible for implementing them,” Süle told “Sport-Bild” in May.
BVB Managing Director Watzke did not want the increased willingness to invest compared to previous years to be seen as an indication of a greater willingness to take risks: “We have a financial basis that is beyond any doubt. What we have done so far is ambitious, but not a financial risk.” , he said in early June.
The new stars are already bagged under the new, old trainer Edin Terzic before the training gallop on Monday. The squad is almost complete. Dortmund is still interested in Hoffenheim’s national player David Raum. But before the transfer of the left-back, which clubs from England are apparently also advertising for, sales candidates such as Nico Schulz, Raphael Guerreiro, Thorgan Hazard or possibly Emre Can would first have to bring in millions more.
A declaration of war in the direction of the series champions Bayern Munich had already come from Dortmund at the end of last season: “Bayern are German champions for the tenth year. You don’t want to get used to that. We want to align ourselves in such a way that we gradually have the chance have a say and attack at the top.” Marco Rose said so – a few days later the coach was fired. Rose’s successor (and predecessor) Edin Terzic also reiterated: “Let’s be hungrier than ever. Let’s work harder than ever. Then we’ll have a great chance one day to celebrate like never before.” With the squad upgraded and converted with great vehemence, the chances at least increase.