While it may seem like the Bundesliga has become the exclusive domain of Bayern Munich, at least in terms of winning the title, Borussia Dortmund have been making a name for themselves as one of the best places for young talent to grow and improve over the last few seasons. It remains to be seen if they can manage to convert this into a title win, but it is already obvious that Dortmund have become one of the most sought-after clubs for young players to arrive at.
The ongoing transfer saga regarding Jadon Sancho only serves to illustrate this. Sancho arrived in Germany from Manchester City as a 17-year-old in search of playing time, after Pep Guardiola refused to guarantee him minutes on the pitch for the first team. City’s loss has been Dortmund’s gain, as the English winger has taken the Bundesliga by storm. Sancho scored 17 goals and notched a further 16 assists in the league last season, while he had scored 12 goals the previous season, with 14 assists. A combined total of 29 goals and 30 assists over two seasons is no laughing matter, especially for a player who turned 20 earlier this year, and his rapid development has been a credit to the Dortmund coaches. It is no surprise, then, that his move was the catalyst for many similar moves to the Bundesliga and to Dortmund as well. Rabbi Matondo also left City for Dortmund’s eternal rivals Schalke, while Ademola Lookman was sold to RB Leipzig by Everton, and Reece Oxford went to Augsburg from West Ham United. Lately, we have seen Birmingham City’s highly rated youngster Jude Bellingham also arrive at the Signal Iduna Park.
Bellingham is at the same age that Sancho was when he made the move to Germany, and some say that he has the potential to be as good, if not better than his compatriot. Dortmund’s ability to turn rough diamonds into the finished product has now been well established, and this is what gives many players the hope that they will get better if they arrive at the club. Even if Bayern Munich continue to be favourites for the Bundesliga every year at the likes of Bet9ja 2020 and other betting sites, this intangible goodwill has been very important towards building up Dortmund’s brand. Their reputation for player development is likely to land them another young talent, with the club set to sign Reinier Jesus on loan from Real Madrid for two seasons, a similar arrangement to the one that just ended for Achraf Hakimi. Hakimi went from a young right-back to one of the most sought players in his position in the world during his time at the Westfalenstadion and has just sealed a permanent move to Inter Milan after Real Madrid could not guarantee playing time for him. It remains to be seen if Reinier will have the same impact, but one thing is for sure, that Dortmund’s reputation has never been better, and this, along with canny reinvestment in the squad, is their biggest weapon if they are to dethrone Bayern domestically any time soon.
