EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Borussia Dortmund closing in on Marcel Halstenberg

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RB Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg is on the verge of joining rivals Borussia Dortmund. With just one week remaining for the transfer window to close, multiple reports claim that a move could happen in the coming days.

Halstenberg has played for the reserve team of Borussia Dortmund earlier in his career. The German is interested in returning back to Dortmund, though no agreement is reached between the clubs.

As for Dortmund, any new signing, including that of Halstenberg, will depend on the ability to sell some of their players. Currently, Nico Schulz, Roman Burki and Thomas Delaney are the players the club is looking to sell, with the latter linked heavily to Sevilla.

HALSTENBERG CAN STRENGTHEN DORTMUND DEFENCE

Halstenberg is a left-back who can also play in the centre of defence. The German international made 185 appearances for RB Leipzig of which 126 was in the Bundesliga. He also featured 9 times for Germany on the international stage.

The 29-year-old is an excellent passer and is good at holding on to the ball. A decent crosser of the ball, he can be also used on the left side of midfield. Halstenberg currently has a contract with Leipzig till 2022. Hence the club is willing to let him go this season, rather than losing him for free in the next.

Dortmund are in need of defensive reinforcement after multiple injuries at the back. The Black and Yellows used a makeshift defence of Manuel Akanji and Axel Witsel in their opening matches and had mixed results. Matts Hummels and Dan-Axel Zagaduo are the clubs other centre-backs. Both of them have injuries at the moment and this depletes the club’s choices.

Signing Halstenberg could address the issue for the time being, while it gives chance for youngsters in the squad to develop. Leipzig is valuing the player at around €10 million. And if reports are to be believed, midfielder Thomas Delaney could move to Sevilla in the coming days, which will help fund the move for Halstenberg.

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