Germany watch: Borussia Dortmund could miss out on David Raum

David Raum was a revelation last season in his Bundesliga debut for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and is now a Germany national team mainstay. He would be an outstanding fit for Borussia Dortmund, but Bayern Munich’s chief rivals are now poised to miss out, according to Sport1, with Manchester United, Newcastle, and West Ham interested.

Raum is a highly attacking wingback — 11 assists, 3 goals in 2021/22 — who commands the full left flank. His energetic forays forward account for some slighter weaknesses in his defensive game. Compared to the also capable Raphaël Guerreiro, Raum gets consistently further forward — a creative force in the final third. Dortmund have an outstanding transfer window so far; adding Germany’s brightest new left-back would be the icing on top.

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Dortmund are still trying to make up for a €25m left-back spend for Nico Schulz in 2018. Schulz never got going, and his wages are increasingly a problem as the club tries to move him on. BVB did get Erling Haaland’s release clause from Manchester City, but have considerable outlays in the transfer window already: Sébastian Haller, Karim Adeyemi each >€30m; Nico Schlotterbeck >€20m; Niklas Süle a new big wage earner.

Therefore Dortmund are under pressure to sell. According to Sport1’s reporting, even Guerreiro is on the market! As for Hoffenheim, they understand that Raum has his sights set elsewhere. From sporting director Alexander Rosen: “If a top club comes and he gets the opportunity, then of course we will sit down with him.”

If Raum does leave for the English Premier League, then Dortmund will hope for the emergence of promising youngsters. 17-year-old Tom Rothe already has one big senior team goal, and 18-year-old Prince Aning is freshly arrived from the Ajax academy. They will need time, and it’s likely that one or both of Guerreiro and Schulz will still be playing for Dortmund next season.

For Bayern, a left-back this window is not out of the question, but Raum’s profile is likely too similar to that of Alphonso Davies. The Rekordmeister may still seek to bring in either a new backup, or a defensive presence to allow Davies to focus on the attack.