Borussia Dortmund can challenge Bayern Munich for the title, says Sandro Wagner

Former Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner views the transfer window enjoyed by rivals Borussia Dortmund favorably this summer, despite the Rekordmeister’s ballyhooed buying frenzy. As a result? He sees his former club’s record run as champions in danger.

From Abendzeitung:

“In its best lineup, Dortmund is an absolute co-favorite,” the former Munich pro said during an appointment with internet sports provider DAZN. Dortmund has made “sensational transfers” this summer break, he added. “I think Dortmund is in a position to become dangerous to Bayern.”

Wagner rates Dortmund’s new center-back trio — with signees Nico Schlotterbeck (SC Freiburg) and Niklas Süle (Bayern) reinforcing Mats Hummels — above Bayern’s own group of Lucas Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, and Matthijs de Ligt (arrived from Juventus). That’s whether each team plays in a back three or four, which for both of the Bundesliga contenders remains something of a discussion topic heading into the season.

As for the departure of Erling Haaland? Wagner isn’t sweating the leading striker’s move to Manchester City. “If I have the choice between [Karim] Adeyemi and [Sébastien] Haller on the one hand, and Haaland on the other, I would always take Adeyemi and Haller,” he said.

(Haller will miss several months following surgery to remove a testicular tumor recently discovered.)

This is quite the unconventional take, but Dortmund have been making smart, shrew moves on the market. Haller is arrived from AFC Ajax, Germany international Adeyemi from RB Salzburg. There’s also Turkey international Salih Ozcän, arrived from 1. FC Köln to bolster a flair-heavy Dortmund midfield with some defensive steel.

It’s a summer of big spending for both of the Bundesliga’s top clubs, and a bid on BVB’s part to line up German national team mainstays under their banner. In fact, they may just have Germany’s center-back pairing of the future.

This sort of activity is only good for the league, and even from a Bayern perspective, we can hope that it pans out. Just maybe not too well too soon.