Niklas Süle is leaving FC Bayern and moving to Borussia Dortmund for the coming season. The national player’s signature at BVB raises a number of questions.
Why did the record champion let the central defender go? Why did the 26-year-old choose the black and yellow? What do Borussia hope for from the deal? And who will emerge from the business as a winner and who as a loser? sport.de provides the answers.
After five successful years, Niklas Süle is leaving FC Bayern in the summer and moving to BVB.
In Dortmund, the national player signs a long-term contract until 2026. His signature is sweetened with an annual salary of around ten million euros. The most important questions and answers about the transfer that is occupying the Bundesliga.
Why does FC Bayern let Niklas Süle go?
If the record champion had wanted to, he could have kept Süle. The central defender’s salary requirements were reasonable and in line with his performance. Obviously they are convinced in Munich that they can get a better player for a similar price. An assessment that is certainly associated with a risk.
The sporting leadership ultimately came to the conclusion that Süle is dispensable. A look at the numbers only shows that to a limited extent, after all, the 26-year-old is the player with the best tackle rate (65 percent) of all regularly used players and is also one of the players with the most reliable passes (92 percent) in the squad.
In the end, it is said, Hasan Salihamidzic and Co. doubted the defender’s attitude. They didn’t see the unconditional devotion to the club, the often-cited “mia-san-mia” mentality in him.
Why did Niklas Süle choose BVB?
Opinions differ on this question. Süle’s move to the Premier League has often been written about. Spain was also in the draw. But how interested was the foreign club really? Nothing is known about specific offers. There is much to suggest that the foreign issue was made hotter than it really was. And if that was the case, Süle had few options in the end – Dortmund was still the best.
At the same time, the national player was not completely convinced of a move abroad. Not only would he have had to give up his tents in Germany and his closeness to his family and friends, but he would also have taken the risk of going backwards in sport. The chance of winning a title at Chelsea or Barca is perhaps greater than in Dortmund, but so is the risk of only playing a supporting role there. This risk is calculable at BVB.
Why did BVB choose Niklas Süle?
BVB will need a replacement for Manuel Akanji sooner rather than later. With the Swiss, the signs are goodbye. And the future of Dan-Axel Zagadou has not yet been finally clarified. Michael Zorc and Co. had to act to avoid suddenly being left with just one seasoned central defender in the summer. To do this, Dortmund urgently need to improve the quality of their squad.
The decision in favor of Süle was not without alternatives, but makes sense on all levels. The central defender is in the best footballer age, comes for free and also fits into the budget in terms of salary. A competitive team for little money can no longer be put together in 2022. This certainty has long spread in Dortmund.
At the same time, Süle in the FC Bayern jersey has proven for many years that he can compete at the highest level. A quality that many of the other candidates have not yet demonstrated.
Who are the winners and losers of the deal?
There is no loser in the classic sense in the deal. FC Bayern has the means to easily get a replacement. And if this replacement ends up being more expensive, then you accept that. Nationally, Munich are uncatchable with or without Süle. And internationally, with or without Süle, they continue to compete for the biggest title every year.
BVB, on the other hand, can feel like a big winner. The club cannot use the top shelf. Süle may not belong in this either, but the 26-year-old is close. Süle is not a talent that has yet to mature. At the same time, he is not a player who has passed his peak in two years. Such players are hard to come by, especially for free. For Dortmund it was probably the best possible transfer ever.
Süle, on the other hand, has to lower his expectations slightly in Dortmund. He will not win at least one title every year with BVB. But that doesn’t seem to be the most important thing for the national player. For him it is about a new challenge with a certain security. He gets this package from the black and yellow.
Christian Schenzel