5 future stars at Borussia Dortmund
After Jurgen Klopp took over Borussia Dortmund, the club's philosophy has been to identify young players and develop them so that they are able to play in the first team. This system has worked incredibly well for Borussia Dortmund over the last ten years or so, with several players making their names at the club and then being sold off for significant amounts to other clubs.
Players like Robert Lewandowski, Matts Hummels, Mario Gotze, Jadon Sancho, Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic, Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa, Ilkay Gundogan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are just a few names who have made it big at Borussia Dortmund.
While a number of the players mentioned above and many more have been sold for huge transfer fees, Borussia Dortmund continues to develop players rather than spend huge amounts to replace them. Although they have not won the Bundesliga title in eight years, this philosophy has kept them in the mix.
On that note, here is a look at five future stars currently being groomed at Borussia Dortmund.
Five future stars at Borussia Dortmund:
#1: Mateu Morey
Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona fans apart, not a lot of other fans might know about Mateu Morey; the young Spaniard is expected to be the next big player to come out of Borussia Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund signed Morey from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy at the start of this season but the youngster suffered a shoulder injury that disrupted his progress. Since his recovery, Morey has been primarily involved with the Borussia Dortmund U23 team and has also featured five times for the first team towards the end of this season.
If his injury problems are hopefully behind him, Morey could make an impact with the Borussia Dortmund first team next season; being a right-back presents him with the perfect opportunity in this regard.
With Achraf Hakimi joining Inter Milan and Lukas Pizcheck approaching the end of his career, Morey has the perfect opportunity to make his mark and cement his place at Borussia Dortmund.
#2: Giovanni Reyna
Following in the footsteps of compatriot and former Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna could very well be the next American football star to breakthrough at Borussia Dortmund.
The 17-year-old American started his career in his home town club of New York City FC before moving to Borusssia Dortmund at the start of this season.
Mostly expected to feature with Borussia Dortmund’s U19 squad, Reyna's impressive performances forced Lucien Favre to give him a chance with the first team this season where he has not disappointed.
The American ended his first season with 18 appearances, one goal and two assists. Borussia Dortmund's Sporting Director Michael Zorc predicted the American to be at the top of his game for years to come when he said:
“Our coach, Lucien Favre, and I agree that he has a big future ahead of him. I believe that Gio is aware of the development he has taken here. First in the academy, and then under Lucien. It’s an absolute success story, and we want to continue writing it. He is still a minor, but we’re in very positive talks to keep him at the club for as long as possible once he turns 18.”
#3: Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham joined Borussia Dortmund only recently but it is certainly worth mentioning him in this list of future stars.
Over the years several young Englishmen have chosen to move to German clubs to further their development. Jadon Sancho, Reiss Nelson, Reece Oxford, Oliver Burke, Ademola Lookman, and Rabbi Matondo and Bellingham are a few of the examples in this regard.
The 17-year-old Englishman was highly sought after this summer, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich also reportedly after him. Bellingham has had an excellent breakthrough season with Birmingham City, scoring four goals and assisting three from 43 appearances that saw him become the club's youngest player and goal-scorer.
Michael Zorc, Dortmund’s Sporting Director, says about Bellingham:
“He has enormous potential, which we will continue to develop together with him over the coming years. He already boasts astonishing quality with and without the ball, and has a strong mentality to boot. Jude will immediately strengthen our first team squad, but we will certainly give him all the time he needs to adapt to the higher level of play.”