After suffering a gut-wrenching Bundesliga title loss in the final minutes of the last matchday of the 2022-23 season, Borussia Dortmund's off-season has been eventful indeed. Their off-season has been highlighted by the sale of Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid. One of the most promising young prospects in world football today, the English midfielder had just come off a breakout season for both club and country, landing him a €103 million move to the Spanish capital.
Despite receiving this massive influx of money, Die Schwarzgelbe nevertheless found themselves in a somewhat awkward position: having come so close to the league title just weeks prior, their squad was now far weaker than that of arch-rivals and league champions Bayern Munich. This was particularly true of Dortmund's midfield given not only Bellingham's departure but also that of Mahmoud Dahoud to Brighton & Hove Albion. However, less than a week ago, Dortmund not only shored up their midfield's depth and signed a player tasked with replacing at least some of Bellingham's tremendous impact; they also did so at Bayern's expense.
Dortmund signed Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern for a transfer fee of €19 million. The Austrian midfielder arrived at Signal Iduna Park after having spent the past two seasons as a Bayern player including a half-season on loan at Manchester United. Sabitzer's loan stint was largely due to the fact that he did not receive much playing time at Bayern; had he stayed there, the same would likely have been true in the upcoming season. Primarily a central midfielder, Sabitzer is almost equally adept at the defensive midfield and number 10 roles and will thus add some degree of flexibility and versatility to Dortmund's midfield.
Sabitzer's playstyle is a good fit at Dortmund. His primary strengths are playmaking and ball interception - both key points of emphasis in Dortmund's tactical approach since Edin Terzić began coaching the team on a permanent basis at the beginning of last season. Sabitzer will likely slot in as part of a three-man midfield alongside fellow off-season acquisition Felix Nmecha who was signed from Wolfsburg for €30 million as well as newly-appointed captain Emre Can.
The key question surrounding Sabitzer is if he is able to return to his level of play at RB Leipzig, the club for which he played for six years before signing for Bayern in 2021. Having not been a first-team regular for two years, there will likely be some level of rust during his first few Dortmund matches. The real test will be later in the season, by when it will be evident if he has either dropped off for good or if he had simply never been given ample opportunity during his time in Bavaria.
Of course, no one is expecting Sabitzer to be the difference-maker in Dortmund's attempt to finally prise the Bundesliga title out of Bayern's grip following Bayern's unprecedented 11th consecutive league title last season. That being said, Dortmund's acquisition of Sabitzer sends a clear message to Bayern. In a way, it's a form of validation that Dortmund's post-World Cup surge last season was no fluke, that they are indeed for real, and that they might have a genuine chance to win the Bundesliga for the first time since 2012.
It should also be remembered that Dortmund still have a huge amount of money with which to work following Bellingham's transfer to Real. While Dortmund have never historically been a club which has consistently attracted top-shelf talent, it would not come as a major surprise if they were to open up their now expanded wallet and attempt a move for a big name - especially since Bayern have already signed Kim Min-jae from Napoli for €50 million and are continuing their pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
The 2023-24 season is the most highly anticipated at Borussia Dortmund in many years, for it will be the litmus test about whether the club's red-hot finish to last season was a one-off or a sign that they have returned to being one of Europe's elite clubs. The signing of Marcel Sabitzer is a solid first step - but will they go on to build on this? The answer to that question will likely play a big role in determining their fortunes this season.
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