4 Players Borussia Dortmund Should Clear out in the 2016 Summer Transfer Window
Borussia Dortmund have had a busy summer already, and the transfer window hasn't even officially opened. The Ruhr side have been extremely active, snapping up young talent while also losing some key players.
It's certain that BVB will miss Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan after they sold the pair to Bayern Munich and Manchester City, respectively. Despite losing two superstars, though, there are more players Dortmund would be wise to offload ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.
Bleacher Report has run the rule over the current Dortmund squad and picked out four players that Dortmund ought to sell.
Click "Begin Slideshow" for our picks, in alphabetical order by surname.
Matthias Ginter
1 of 4
Matthias Ginter is a great player with a bright future if he's nurtured in the right environment, but that doesn't seem to be Dortmund.
The 22-year-old did surprisingly well at right-back last season, but that was more a testament to his versatility and adaptability than anything else.
He wasn't often used in his natural, central-defensive role or his secondary position in defensive midfield. Tuchel just didn't know what to do with him other than to use him as emergency backup on the right of defense.
Looking ahead, the signing of Sebastian Rode will likely mean more limits to Ginter's minutes. The former Freiburg man's talents in many ways overlap with those of the new signing. And if Dortmund were willing to spend money on Rode, it means they're more happy with the newcomer than the player they already have.
Better for Ginter to look for a club that can help bring the best out of him. And better for Dortmund to sell before his valuation drops much further.
Moritz Leitner
2 of 4
Like Ginter, Moritz Leitner looked to be a great acquisition for Dortmund when he signed with the Ruhr side from 1860 Munich. Yet five-and-a-half years later, he looks to be a lost cause.
A two-footed player of obvious technical ability, there is no doubting that Leitner has the potential to be a starter in the Bundesliga. Yet if he is to achieve that potential, the 23-year-old will surely have to do so elsewhere.
He's had his chances, yet he has never done enough to earn a promotion from his low place in the pecking order.
Despite the departure of Ilkay Gundogan this summer, Leitner is set to have more competition for a spot in the midfield next season as both Rode and Mikel Merino have moved to Dortmund. And the additions of Ousmane Dembele and Emre Mor may mean that Tuchel will sacrifice a central midfielder to play with five attackers.
It just doesn't look good for Leitner, who should be ready to pack his bags.
Joo-Ho Park
3 of 4
Joo-Ho Park was meant to be a backup for Marcel Schmelzer, but in his first season at Signal Iduna Park, he made just 11 appearances in all competitions.
The left-back was given his chances in the first round, but he was a surplus to requirements by midseason and made his final competitive appearance of the campaign in January.
A 29-times capped South Korea international, Park showed quality at Mainz that led Tuchel to bring him to Dortmund in his first season at the club. Yet if his entire lack of use in the last few months of the season are any indicator, the 29-year-old seems to no longer be a part of his trainer's plans.
If Park's career at Dortmund weren't clearly over before, the final nail in the coffin of his time in the Ruhr area was hammered home last week as Dortmund secured the signing of Raphael Guerreiro. Having invested (per Transfermarkt) €12 million to sign the Portuguese left-back, there's no doubt Tuchel is considering him for a starting role.
Whether or not Guerreiro secures a place in the first XI, it still will leave Park third-choice behind the 22-year-old and Schmelzer. As such, Park will likely be keen to move to a club where he's more needed.
Adrian Ramos
4 of 4
Adrian Ramos is a controversial inclusion in this list given that he underwent positive development toward the latter stages of last season and proved to be a useful substitute when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wasn't enough up front.
In the final 12 matchdays of the Bundesliga season, the 30-year-old scored an impressive seven goals. Not bad considering he played a quarter-hour or less in a third of those games.
Even so, Ramos is not the player Dortmund need. He has the right attributes, in that he's a different kind of striker from Aubameyang and perhaps has slightly better instincts as a scorer.
But the problem with the Colombia international is that he'll never be much better than he is now. And the level he's at is more appropriate for his former club, Hertha BSC, than a Champions League side with ambitions in the Bundesliga.
Elsewhere around the pitch, Dortmund have a wide range of up-and-coming stars. It's a good idea because those prospects might be entering their prime by the time the current starters leave.
That isn't the case at striker, and given that there is only one center-forward position, it's probably best for Dortmund to have a young player with more potential on the bench.
