However, this is Haller, who can be played at all altitudes with his height of 1.90 m and his technical strength on the ground. A ball-holding target player on offense is essential for coach Edin Terzic’s game system, as was evident during his first term in office in the 2020/21 season. If BVB wants to quickly bridge the midfield and pick up the pace, they need a target player for long passes up front. If BVB wants to work its way forward more methodically and with a lot of ball possession, it needs a target player for short combinations through the center.
One of the most secure strikers in Europe
Haller can do all of this and score a few goals himself on top of that. Statistically, the Ivorian is currently proving his ball security. With an average of 1.89 ball acceptance errors and 0.94 ball losses per game, Haller is one of the top ten percent of strikers in the top 5 leagues in Europe in these categories according to the “FBref.com” portal. On average, he touches the ball 7.15 times in the opposing penalty area. That too is a top value.
Dortmund need an active and energetic center forward who can be played and who can also create gaps that Karim Adeyemi, Marco Reus or Jude Bellingham can fill. Creating gaps off the ball was an element in Erling Haaland’s game that was often underestimated, but it also helped the row behind the Norwegian to make successful offensive actions. In this respect, Haller will have to do something similar in the future, because BVB needs a present center forward, but also lives from the individual class in attacking midfield.
Dortmund could play in this basic formation next season. Important is the playful presence behind Haller with technicians like Marco Reus and dynamic players like Jude Bellingham and Gio Reyna. For his part, Karim Adeyemi can fill gaps with speed and seek deals himself, as he often did in the service of Red Bull Salzburg.
Haller certainly does not fit into BVB’s typical transfer strategy, since at 28 he is already at the peak of his creative power and in a few years’ time should probably only have a manageable resale value. But similar to the 26-year-old Niklas Süle, the Dortmunders are more concerned than ever with the team immediately performing. That should definitely succeed with Haller. The time at Ajax in a system that could also serve as a model for BVB was, in addition to the successful years in Frankfurt, a clear recommendation for the Ivorian center forward.