Report: Borussia Dortmund Looking for Full Backs in the Winter Window

According to a report by Bild, Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing not one, but two full backs in the coming winter transfer window, in an attempt to address perceived weaknesses on both the left and right sides of the back line.

In the immediate aftermath of Borussia Dortmund’s 2023 summer transfer window, the verdict from the fan base has been almost unanimous: it was an utter disaster. While we have discussed ad nauseam the various overspends and missed opportunities from the summer, at no position were the results more disappointing than at full back. Despite direly needing reinforcements at both full back positions, Dortmund only managed to sign one new player, Ramy Bensebaini, and he only served to replace the departing Raphael Guerreiro. While a moderate defensive upgrade, he also represented a clear offensive downgrade over Guerreiro, and hardly moved the needle towards league-competitive status for BVB.

Photo by Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

The current depth chart includes, in practice, Ramy Bensebaini, Julian Ryerson, and Marius Wolf as full time options, with Emre Can and Niklas Süle capable of filling in in a pinch. Mateu Morey and Thomas Meunier might remain in the squad, but between injuries and a complete loss of confidence respectively, are unlikely to see the pitch anytime soon. Most importantly, none of these players are of the caliber that belongs on a proper squad capable of competing for the Meisterschale or the Champions League.

While it would have been nice for Dortmund to recognize this hole in the squad earlier, it appears that they have at least now woken up to the problem. Bild’s report is a positive sign, although it’s much easier to identify a hole in the squad than it is to actually fill it.