Without a whole lot of activity in the Borussia Dortmund camp, and the World Cup not starting for a few days, I thought I would share with you guys some of my favorite players who could really add to the Dortmund squad. For the most part I went for younger players who are either underrated, under-appreciated, or under-played. Realistically, none of these guys will ever put on the black and yellow armor, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

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Mateo Kovačić

The 24-year-old Croatian midfielder is thought of by many to be the successor to his fellow teammate Luka Modrić. When he was announced as a Real Madrid player in 2015, it seemed like an underwhelming signing considering past galacticos in Real Madrid’s history. Combined with a rather strange Rafa Benítez reign in Madrid, as well as the fact that he was only sold so Inter Milan could comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, and it seemed that Los Blancos had made a[nother] mistake.

Fast forward to today, and Mateo Kovačić is one of Europe’s most sought after prizes. A versatile midfielder, throughout his career he has found himself in every midfield position in the game, now acting mainly as a central midfielder who orchestrates his team’s attack, when given the chance. He doesn’t see as much playing time as he should, however, given the fact that the Madrid club has a crowded star-studded lineup.

He is a complete midfielder, and he would essentially replace Mahmoud Dahoud at Dortmund, playing anywhere from the defensive midfield position to scoring goals on the other end.

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Marcos Rojo

Talk about a player transformation. Say what you will about José Mourinho, (I’m sure it’s probably justified) but Marcos Rojo really hit his stride when the Portuguese manager took over the reigns in Manchester. Under Louis Van Gaal, Rojo became the ugly duckling in Manchester United’s defense. Luckily, the Dutch manager was sacked and Mourinho flipped a switch in the Argentine’s being that suddenly turned him into a solid defender, to the point that Mourinho had to ask Rojo not to hurt Alexis Sánchez during training.

Now that Sokratis is most likely leaving in July, Dortmund is lacking that Sergio Ramos type defender who is solid but leaning toward the dirty side. The enforcer in the back who is willing to take one for the team and get himself sent off on occasion. When I’m at work, daydreaming about how much I can’t stand my customer service job, I often think of how Marcos Rojo could be that defensive enforcer in the Dortmund camp.

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Thorgan Hazard

If I had a choice between choosing Eden Hazard or Thorgan Hazard on my team, I’d choose Thorgan in a heartbeat. This past season, Thorgan scored 11 goals and performed 5 assists in all competitions. Those may not seem like amazing numbers, but you have to remember the Belgian plays for a rather average Gladbach side, and there’s only so much he can do. Regardless, it was enough for him to be selected in the Belgian squad heading to the World Cup this week.

He has excellent crossing abilities and he can take set pieces, but the winger is at his best with the ball at his feet on a counter attack. Borussia Dortmund has a ton of players in the wide attacking department, I know, but offloading certain names that I will not mention here and bringing in this lad would significantly improve the team. I’ve liked Thorgan for a while now, and signing him would help bring BVB back to the Klopp days of constant, energetic, and quick counter attacks leading to sweaty goals.

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Martin Ødegaard

Ah, Martin. If only you joined Borussia Dortmund. The wonderkid who signed for Real Madrid in 2015 came to the Spanish capital with much fanfare, but once people realized he’s just a teenager and it was going to take time for him to develop, he fell out of the big headlines. After an 18 month loan to SC Heerenveen, he is now contemplating where his path will lead to next. Fingers crossed he chooses Dortmund!

Martin didn’t accomplish much in the Netherlands as far as goals and assists are concerned, but that seems to be misleading information. After watching a few Heerenveen games, it’s clear that those numbers would be much, much higher if he was dealing with forwards who possessed even half a brain. Not only that, but he he often found himself out of position, being thrown in as a right winger but naturally being an attacking midfielder.

The young Norwegian has silky dribbling skills, great vision for seeing teammates in open positions, and a nice bit of pace. Imagine an Emre Mor with a good attitude and a desire to pass the ball. Or, think of him as the Norwegian offspring of Mario Götze and Lionel Messi. Dortmund is a great place for youngsters like Martin Ødegaard to develop, and I feel that he would really add midfield flair and creativity to an otherwise disinterested and indifferent Borussia Dortmund squad.

These are just a few of my favorite guys who won’t sign for Borussia Dortmund anywhere but my daydreams and in video games. Who are yours?