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Borussia Dortmund Youth System Players That Fit Jurgen Klopp's Vision
January 29, 2015
Borussia Dortmund return to Bundesliga action tomorrow night with a tricky away match at the Bay Arena against high-flying Bayer Leverkusen.
Roger Schmidt's side will be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on Jurgen Klopp's fallen heroes, as they look to pile more anguish on to a season that has seen the former German champions slump to the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
The Black and Yellows certainly need a change of heart or perhaps a change of personnel if they are to turn their season around, but instead of signing some unknown quantity from foreign shores or forking out for an overrated Bundesliga talent, why doesn't Klopp look to his youth sides for some inspiration?
Marian Sarr
To kick things off, we have a central defender who has already played in the Dortmund back line in Marian Sarr. Sarr has been a regular for Germany's U20s and U17s and has even made it into Klopp's first team on three separate occasions while at the club.
What Sarr could bring to the first team is some solid cover in a position that tends to suffer greatly throughout league campaigns. Although the youngster isn't quite at the level of Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic or Sokratis Papastathopoulos, he could quite easily dislodge Matthias Sammer from his place as fourth in line.
Klopp has never feared throwing youngsters into his defence, with players like Erik Durm proving how vibrant they can be, and Sarr may offer a viable option as the games begin to stack up in the business end of the season.
Jeremy Dudziak
If there's one thing Dortmund don't need it's another left-back, yet Jeremy Dudziak could offer Klopp's side more than just another decent full-back.
Originally played as a left winger in the Dortmund youth teams, Dudziak offers all the attacking intent and technical ability of Durm with the pace and skill to defend in equal measures.
Having just signed a new contract with the club—his first professional one since joining Dortmund—it would seem as though Klopp has every intention of using the German player in the future.
If he can develop Dudziak, implement him at left-back and move Durm over to the right, where he's better suited, then we may just have a Dortmund side with two solid full-backs in the future.
Julian Derstroff
This 23-year-old already played in the Bundesliga three seasons ago, when he first broke through with Kaiserslautern as a young attacking midfielder on either wing, yet since then, Julian Derstroff has found himself stuck in the Dortmund youth system.
The situation may seem discouraging, but following a few injury-laden seasons, Derstroff has shaken off his bit-part past and is currently enjoying a bright campaign for the Dortmund reserve side. Now, he looks ready to make the next step up.
From either wing or even up front when asked, Derstroff could offer some genuine alternatives to an entire midfield and forward line that has gravely disappointed Klopp and the club's fans up to this point in the season.
Maybe an injection of youth and some genuine hunger are exactly what this Dortmund side need.