OFFICIAL: BVB sign Andriy Yarmolenko

Borussia Dortmund have officially announced the signing of Andriy Yarmolenko. The 27-year-old Ukrainian winger will sign a 4-year contract with the black and yellows. As always Dortmund will not disclose the transfer fee but it is believed to be in the range of 25€ million.

Yarmolenko will replace Ousmane Dembélé who moved to Barcelona on a 147€ million deal. The Ukrainian has a surprisingly similar playing style compared to Dembélé, he is quick, can dribble and while he is left footed, he can basically do anything with both feet. In addition, at 189cm/6’ 2” he is also pretty good in aerial duels, which is an area where Dortmund struggled in recent seasons.

This transfer might an indication that Dortmund has changed direction a bit. Yarmolenko is a “finished product”, an experienced player that will immediately help Dortmund instead of a player that will have to be developed for a year or two.

Nevertheless, some people still see this signing as a risk because Yarmolenko has never played outside of Ukraine. The winger has been with Dynamo Kiev his entire professional career, winning three national championships and the Ukrainian cup twice. And yet his lack of experience at the highest level is somewhat overstated, having played in the Champions League and Europa League with his club (79 games/19 goals/ 18 assists in both competitions) and with the national team (69 games/29 goals).

We will have to see where exactly Peter Bosz will use him, especially once Reus returns but a Pulisic-Aubameyang-Yarmolenko offense is certainly an exciting line-up.

Welcome Andriy Yarmolenko!