Soccer-Dortmund likely to look for Haller replacement soon-CEO Watzke

Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co KgaA

03/08/2022 08:52

BERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund  BVB.DE  may
bring in a new striker to plug the gap left by forward Sebastien
Haller following his surgery and treatment for a malignant
tumour, club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Wednesday.
    With the Bundesliga season kicking off on Friday and
Dortmund facing Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, Watzke said the
club would need to shop around for another forward soon as all
the pressure would be on teenager Youssoufa Moukoko.
    "Obviously it is clear that his (Haller's) absence will be
relatively long and to put everything on Youssoufa Moukoko's
shoulders now  -- he is 17 -- would be a bit too much," Watzke
told ARD's Sportschau programme. 
    "So I think that we will be doing something on the personnel
level. Although a right solution is also difficult because the
market offers are not ample," he said.
    Haller was signed last month to replace Erling Haaland, who
joined Manchester City. But less than two weeks later and during
Dortmund's training camp a malignant testicular tumour was
discovered.
    The Ivory Coast international underwent surgery in late July
and will now need chemotherapy and will be sidelined
indefinitely.
    Dortmund, who finished runners-up to Bayern last season, are
also competing in the Champions League group stage.
    "Ideally something should happen in the next eight to 10
days," Watzke said on the timing of a possible transfer.

 (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann
Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
 ((karolos.grohmann@thomsonreuters.com; +491743343192;))