Dortmund Add $38.5 Million Valued Defender On A Free Transfer

It is a statement signing on every level. Borussia Dortmund has added Bayern Munich center-back Niklas Süle on a free transfer. The deal will go through on Jul. 1, 2022, and Süle will sign a contract that will keep him at the Yellow and Blacks until 2026. 

“We’re delighted that we have managed to sign Niklas Süle, a Germany international, on a free transfer and have tied the player down for four years,” Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said in a club statement.

Süle becomes the eighth player to join Borussia Dortmund from Bayern Munich. With a market value of $38.5 million, the center-back is one of the most valuable free agents on the market at the moment. According to Transfermarkt, Süle becomes the most valuable free agent signing in club history—the precious record is held by Thomas Meunier. He joined the club on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. 

“Niklas has shown during the course of personal talks that he is really keen on Borussia Dortmund,” future BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl said in a club statement. “He possesses a lot of experience, composure in his build-up play, and the necessary physicality to take the next step with us from this summer onwards.”

For Dortmund, it is a statement signing, and the announcement comes at the perfect moment. On Sunday, the club lost 2-5 to Bayer Leverkusen, losing significant ground to Rekordmeister Bayern Munich in the standings. Bayern is now poised to win their tenth title in a row.

Losing the title race once again is not a significant surprise. Dortmund this year has struggled under new head coach Marco Rose to put together consistent results against top teams as their backline continues to be exposed against clubs playing a high-press fast tempo game. 

The Leverkusen result was a good example. Die Werkself dominated Dortmund, exposing Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou at will. Meanwhile, Mats Hummels has struggled all season with fitness after overcoming an injury from last year’s Euros. 

Signing Süle should address several weaknesses in defense. Despite his height and weight, Süle is one of the fastest defenders on the planet; he also manages to turn his sizeable body on a dime—an aspect that keeps being ignored by many Premier League pundits. More importantly, the 26-year-old brings a wealth of experience and also adds to Dortmund’s build-up play. 

All those aspects come at a high cost. Sources familiar with the situation have put Süle’s demands at Bayern Munich at $12-15 million a season. The Rekordmeister was unwilling to pay that sort of salary; however, Dortmund had no such reservations, which should be a signal for the rest of the squad.

The Black and Yellows have now secured one of the best defenders on the planet on a free transfer from their direct rivals. For the likes of Erling Haaland, this is a signal; Dortmund is now serious about challenging Bayern and willing not just to develop players but make a marquee signing, if necessary, from their competitor to finally close the gap.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth