5 Things Thomas Tuchel Will First Have to Address at Borussia Dortmund

With Thomas Tuchel confirmed as the incoming manager at Borussia Dortmund this summer, a whole host of problems await him once Jurgen Klopp unburdens himself from the throne. 

Although Dortmund may well end the season on a slightly higher note than where they found themselves during the winter break, the club is undoubtedly riddled with short and long-term problems that the new manager will have to address almost immediately.

As such today we've jotted down some of the biggest problems facing the club this summer and just how Tuchel will had to address them long before he plays any competitive football. 

Ilkay Gundogan's Future

One of the most troubling stories that is currently bubbling under the surface at Dortmund is the ongoing debate between Ilkay Gundogan and the club with regards to a contract extension. 

The German international's contract runs out in the summer of 2016 meaning this year may be the last chance to cash in on the 24-year-old's talent before he can sign for another club on a pre-contract by this time next year. 

This could be Tuchel's biggest test this summer; whether to continue trying to convince the young star to stay on at Dortmund or allow him to follow Klopp out the door and use any cash raised from his transfer to reinvest in the side. 

The Sale of Mats Hummels

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

It seems as though we can't go one day without a new report establishing that Dortmund central defender Mats Hummels is off to one super club or the next. 

Today, on April 21, The Daily Express established that Manchester United were once again hell-bent on signing the German international this summer. 

Yet from Tuchel's point of view, such rumours and speculation are exactly that—rumours and speculation—safe in the knowledge that the defender will only leave his new club for the right price. 

This will then offer plenty of opportunities for the incoming manager to consider; does he need replacing? If so, who do you sign to replace him? What kind of message does that put out about my role at the club? 

Hummels is undoubtedly one of the club's best players but he's certainly no irreplaceable. In Neven Subotic and Sokratis Papastathopoulos Tuchel would have an instant partnership for next season with Matthias Ginter in reserve. 

The sale of Hummels wouldn't be the end of the world for Dortmund but it will certainly require a lot of thought. 

The Hole at the Centre of Dortmund's Midfield

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Aside form Gundogan's shaky future at the club Tuchel will also have to address the other problems at the heart of his starting XI. 

Just a few yards behind Gundogan in the team lineup we have Nuri Sahin and usually Sven Bender or Sebastian Kehl. The former will be fine next season but the latter two should really worry the incoming manager. Bender hasn't looked himself in the past two seasons and Kehl will be hoping to retire this summer. 

Even if Gundogan stays on for another season, Dortmund may have to go hunting for a competent defensive midfielder. 

A Fresh Approach to Full-Back

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Perhaps the most obvious position that Klopp has neglected over his tenure in Dortmund is the right and left-back roles in the side. 

Both Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek have served the club well and certainly characterised the first coming of Klopp's title-winning side perfectly but now they're getting on a bit and when not out injured they've rarely looked their best this season. 

Tuchel will have Erik Durm and Jeremy Dudziak at hand but investment in stronger, established alternatives will almost certainly be a must this summer. 

No European Football

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Although the prospect of no Champions League or Europa League football next season may seem like a perfect respite for any manager during his first, transition season at a new club, it does pose a number of problems for the Westfalenstadion side.

The most obvious of these issues is the fact that a number of players around the continent simply won't want to come to Dortmund if there's no hope of showing their ability in the Champions League. It may seem pedantic to think a footballer would consider an alternative option just for the sake of one competition. However, in a league that will undoubtedly end up in Bayern Munich's hands once again the hope of making a name for themselves in Europe is really all many of these players have to look forward to. 

Without European football Tuchel may struggle to rebuild his squad in the transfer window with as much ease as he would have expected.