The Changes Borussia Dortmund Must Make to Overhaul Wolfsburg Next Season

Three years ago, Borussia Dortmund were in the process of wrapping up the first and only domestic double in their history, winning the Bundesliga by a mile before blowing out Bayern Munich by a 5-2 score in the DFB-Pokal final.

Much has changed since BVB's last major trophies were claimed in 2012. Many of their superstars have been plucked away, with their replacements unable to return the club to its previous heights. There has even been a complete breakdown of Jurgen Klopp's effect on the team, which has led to his confirming his departure at season's end.

Currently struggling to claim a spot in the 2015-16 Europa League, first place is no longer a realistic target. However, with Thomas Tuchel set to bring new ideas and new players to Signal Iduna Park, a second-place finish is attainable. To do so, they'll have to overcome a very strong Wolfsburg side, which will be a very tall task.

Click "Begin Slideshow" to read B/R's analysis of what Tuchel and Dortmund need to do to overcome Dieter Hecking's Wolves.

Solve the Striker Problem

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

It's common knowledge that although the Champions League is won with a strong first team and good defense, domestic trophies are lifted by teams that can score and have enough depth to rotate and survive a grueling campaign.

Dortmund have an advantage over Wolfsburg in terms of depth, but they've played the entire 2015-16 season without a defined striker. Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos have combined for just five Bundesliga goals this season. And although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has a formidable 14, there remains a Robert Lewandowski-sized hole in the BVB attack.

As of yet, it's uncertain as to whether Tuchel will aim to get more from any of his current players or sign a newcomer. Immobile looks to be on his way out of the club, but 19-year-old Brugge man Obbi Oulare, per Bild, is the only center forward who's been seriously linked with a move to the Signal Iduna Park.

In any case, the incoming boss' toughest task will be figuring out who will be his main frontman and how to get the most out of his center forward.

Sell Ilkay Gundogan

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

The only way Dortmund will be able to afford the necessary signings of this summer is to raise funds, and that can best be done by selling Ilkay Gundogan. The 24-year-old announced at the end of April, per Deutsche Welle, that he would not extend his contract past its 2016 expiration, meaning Dortmund must sell him this summer or risk him leaving on a free transfer next year.

As difficult as it may be to part with Gundogan—the midfielder is, along with Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, one of the few remaining BVB stars to show himself as world class in the Champions League—the time has come.

Dortmund need to play their cards right and get a good sum of money for Gundogan. A €30 million fee would be a dream, and it wouldn't be surprising if he went to an English club for that amount, considering the relative power of the pound against the weak euro at the moment. That would more than fund adequate replacements in his position and possibly more.

Overhaul the Midfield

Michael Probst/Associated Press

With Gundogan set to be sold and Sebastian Kehl retiring, Dortmund will have to find replacements in midfield.

But it goes beyond that: BVB have this season used dozens of five-man combinations behind the main center forward, and no permutation has afforded consistent results. Even among individuals, there were few reliable performers; Marco Reus and Nuri Sahin have been the only two players to really show quality on a regular basis.

Aside from Reus, Dortmund's attacking midfielders have been inconsistent at best. Jakub Blaszczykowski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Kevin Kampl and Shinji Kagawa gave the club the depth they needed to contend for trophies on three fronts, but none truly stepped up and delivered. Tuchel will have to either get more from his attacking midfielders or make some sales.

Changes in defensive midfield are more of a certainty, in that there is at least one confirmed departure and Gundogan is all but on his way out the door. The pair will need replacing, and Dortmund have been linked with former Tuchel protege Johannes Geis, as well as Leverkusen's Gonzalo Castro.

Bild recently reported that Dortmund are reluctant to meet Castro's €12 million release clause, but the player has some power over his future even if the clause is met, given that he has a contract expiring in 2016. Geis, per Goal's Stefan Doring, has agreed to a four-year contract with BVB and will cost in the region of €10 to 15 million.

For his attacking qualities, technique and dribbling, Castro would fit into Gundogan's role. It is still uncertain how Sahin and Geis, both players primarily known for their long-range delivery, would fit into the same team.

Elsewhere, players such as Sven Bender and Kevin Grosskreutz—destroyers who offer limited quality on the ball and became first-teamers for their work effort—may become tactical liabilities under Tuchel, who will have to decide whether either could play a role.

With all things considered, there are at least a couple spots in midfield Tuchel will have to settle, and the manager will have a big challenge tuning his "pentagon." Aside from fixing the striker situation, it's the biggest challenge he'll face.

Make Erik Durm Full-Time Right-Back and Sign a New Left-Back

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

One of Dortmund's biggest problems this season has been in wide areas of defense, where there just hasn't been the same quality as in 2013 and prior. Lukasz Piszczek still hasn't been his old self after a hip injury kept him out for around half a year. He has looked fragile, and it was no surprise when he sustained a ligament tear under Paul Pogba's rash challenge in the Champions League round of 16.

On the opposite wing, Marcel Schmelzer is another player, along with Bender and Grosskreutz, who has proved that no real technical class but all the effort in the world may not be enough to justify a starting role.

Erik Durm also struggled on the left earlier this season but has consistently impressed when used at right-back. The 22-year-old is still young and has some upside. He's arguably the superlative athlete on the team and, critically, developed technical proficiency as a forward during his entire career until the age of 21.

Piszczek may recover some form and class, but the soon-to-be-30-year-old can't be relied upon when Durm, who scored his first Bundesliga goal on Saturday, has momentum and time on his side.

That leaves a big question mark on the opposite flank, with Schmelzer clearly not up to standard from both an offensive and a defensive perspective. Ricardo Rodriguez would cost a fortune and David Alaba and Juan Bernat are off the table as well. Abdul Rahman Baba would be an inspired signing, provided BVB could pry him away from Augsburg without entering a bidding war. As the Ghanaian continues to impress, that could prove impossible. Therefore, Tuchel finds himself with yet another big challenge to overcome.

Revive 'Echte Liebe' by Promoting from Within

Michael Probst/Associated Press

At their recent peak, Dortmund boasted a collection of young, rising talents spurred on by the club's mantra of "echte liebe" (true love). The sky was the limit for Klopp's youngsters, who fought passionately for one another and the club that served as the platform for them to develop and fulfil their potential.

Since then, Dortmund have lost their way. Their poster boy, Mario Gotze, left for Bayern in 2013, and his and Robert Lewandowski's replacements were foreigners with no connection to BVB. Meanwhile, academy graduate Jonas Hofmann was shipped off on loan to Mainz.

BVB need to revive some of the aspects that made them great, and that begins with carefully integrating youngsters into their first team. They took an important step last month by extending the contracts of under-19 goalkeeper Dominik Reimann and midfielder-cum-defender David Sauerland, as well as under-17 all-rounders Dzenis Burnic and Felix Passlack.

The next step would be to give some of them a sniff of first-team football by promoting them to senior training. Sauerland may even be ready for a few minutes of professional football by springtime.

Otherwise, Tuchel ought to bring Hofmann back into the team and be patient, giving both him and Matthias Ginter the opportunity to develop and achieve their potentials in a productive and supportive environment. It worked before and can again.