Ranking Borussia Dortmund's Top 10 Summer Signings of the Past 10 Years
Borussia Dortmund's history in the transfer market has had its ups and downs, but things have turned toward the better for the Ruhr club in recent years.
Poor dealings in the transfer market in the early 2000s nearly led to BVB's bankruptcy, with Marcio Amoroso in particular proving to be a flop despite commanding a record transfer fee.
Dortmund's resurgence in the latter part of the decade came from a more organic approach, with homegrown players and inexpensive signings of younger players of less star power. Not everything has gone to plan, but shrewd business has seen BVB emerge once more as a power of German football.
B/R has examined Dortmund's last 10 summers, picking out their most astute signings.
Click "Begin Slideshow" to see our countdown of the top 10, ranked on value for impact made on the club's success.
10) Lukasz Piszczek
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Lukasz Piszcek makes this list primarily for value, as the Poland international came on a free transfer in the summer of 2010 and has since given six years of good football to BVB.
His best years were the first three seasons, during which time he at times rivaled Philipp Lahm for the honor of the Bundesliga's best right-back. But injuries have taken their toll ever since.
Still, for Dortmund to sign a player for free from relegated Hertha Berlin and for him to make such immediate progress as Piszczek did is truly shrewd business and deserves a bit of recognition.
9) Lucas Barrios
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Lucas Barrios is a bit of a forgotten figure in Dortmund after leaving so long ago—and seemingly just to get a good payday in China. Still, the Paraguayan striker's influence in 2009-10 and 2010-11 cannot be underestimated.
Barrios scored 23 goals for BVB in what proved to be an excellent debut season, and then struck 21 in the following campaign as Dortmund lifted the Bundesliga title.
That would prove to be the last telling impact he would have on the Ruhr side, but he was a vital part of Dortmund's success during his day.
8) Julian Weigl
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Julian Weigl has only been a Dortmund player for one year, but the progress he's undergone over that period of time is remarkable and sees him earn a spot on this list.
Like Shinji Kagawa, the central midfielder was found in a lower league and immediately brought into the first team. Weigl's transfer from 2. Bundesliga side 1860 Munich cost just €2.5 million, yet a year later, he's in the Germany squad for Euro 2016.
Still just 20 years of age, his real value has probably risen tenfold from what it was when he joined Dortmund. And it seems the best is yet to come from BVB's new midfield ace.
7) Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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Henrikh Mkhitaryan was by many accounts the best player of the 2015-16 Bundesliga season. His record of 23 goals and 32 assists in all competitions was incredible. Yet for all his brilliance over the past campaign, the Armenia international ranks a bit lower on this list than one might expect.
The trouble with Mkhitaryan is, he came as a record signing for €27.5 million in the summer of 2013, and proceeded to have two underwhelming seasons. There were some bright spots, but more was expected from him, and he visibly looked shaken in big-game scenarios.
Mkhitaryan came to life over the last season, though, and went from flop to resounding success. That Dortmund, despite being without Marco Reus anywhere near his peak, managed to earn the second-best Bundesliga points in their history is remarkable. Much of that is owed to the Armenia international for playing a role in 31 of their 82 goals scored in the German top flight.
6) Shinji Kagawa
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If there is one player who symbolized the brilliance of the Dortmund management's work to create their 2010-11 title-winning side, it's Shinji Kagawa.
For scouts to find the youngster in the Japanese second division, then to sign him for free and for Jurgen Klopp to nurture him to become one of the Bundesliga's best players is simply remarkable.
Six years after his initial signing, Kagawa has actually made Dortmund €8 million profit after his sale to and purchase from Manchester United.
He's no longer the essential player he was during his first spell at Signal Iduna Park, but without his efforts from 2010-12, Dortmund would not be where they are today.
5) Ilkay Gundogan
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In 2010-11, Ilkay Gundogan was a good, but not great, playmaker at Nurnberg. Within a year, he transformed into a Germany international in central midfield. A year later, he played in the Champions League final after besting such midfield giants as Yaya Toure and Xabi Alonso.
Gundogan might have temporarily been the world's best central midfielder, even if injuries have taken away that possibility for the time being.
Still, much of BVB's run to the 2012-13 Champions League final is owed to him. And even though Dortmund had to give up 15 percent of their proceeds from his Manchester City move to Nurnberg (per Bild, in German) his appreciation from a €5.5 million signing to a €27 million sale with just a year left on his contract is good business.
4) Marco Reus
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The signing of Marco Reus in 2012 was an enormous coup for Dortmund. At €17.1 million, the then-Borussia Monchengladbach man became BVB's most expensive signing since Amoroso and was in that regard a risk.
However, he also was arguably the Bundesliga's best player of 2011-12, and the fact that Dortmund managed to sign him rather than any of Europe's bigger clubs was a real statement.
Reus hit the ground running and, despite his recent injury struggles, he has been enormous for his side over the course of his time at Signal Iduna Park.
Time and again, he's provided the creative spark or the emphatic finish needed to overcome opponents, his influence being felt especially in big Champions League games. His decision to spend his best years in Dortmund will see him retire as a legend of the club.
3) Mats Hummels
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In 2009, Dortmund moved to make the loan of Mats Hummels a permanent deal.
What had been the second-best defense in the Bundesliga (Schalke 04's had conceded two goals fewer) in two seasons became the second best in history (their record of 22 goals had only been beaten by the 2007-08 Bayern team), with Hummels probably the most important factor.
Dortmund's Bundesliga triumph in 2010-11 and their domestic double a year later were achieved with many thanks to their outstanding defense, and Hummels made the difference in this regard.
The €4.2 million paid for his signature seems a pittance following the €35 million BVB recently sold him for.
2) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Dortmund from AS Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2013, it wasn't clear what role he'd play.
The Gabon international had been a wide forward in Ligue 1, but his defending was not up to snuff and Jurgen Klopp used him sparingly. A year later, he developed into one of the Bundesliga's best strikers as he transformed himself into a main forward.
Aubameyang followed up a breakthrough 2014-15 campaign with 39 goals and 12 assists in all competitions for BVB last season. He's a unique striker in today's game, and his transfer value has probably quintupled—or more—relative to the €13 million Dortmund paid for his services. Not a bad rate of return over just three years.
1) Robert Lewandowski
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In the summer of 2010, Dortmund signed Robert Lewandowski from Lech Poznan for €4.75 million. In his first season, he struggled as a supporting forward. In his second, third and fourth, he developed into arguably the best striker in Europe.
Lewandowski was always going to leave Dortmund at some point, but the fact that the club refused to let him go before his contract expired, while they have voluntarily sold so many others, is a testament to how important he was.
The striker's four-goal haul against Real Madrid in the 2012-13 Champions League semifinals will always be remembered as one of the club's proudest moments. And his record of 103 goals in just 187 appearances may forever keep him among Dortmund's top handful of scorers.
*All fees taken from Transfermarkt
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