Borussia Dortmund is pushing to complete two transfers before Tuesday's deadline. Club bosses Lars Ricken and Ole Book are missing the team's DFB-Pokal match in Hamburg to focus on the deals.
The two executives, sporting director Lars Ricken (50) and CEO Ole Book (40), did not travel with the squad to the Volksparkstadion. The team faces HEBC there on April 20 at 20:45 in the cup first round. Transfer pressure is the reason for this special measure. The club currently sits 5th in the Bundesliga with 3 points from one game and a goal difference of +2. The next challenge is an away match against 12th-placed 1899 Hoffenheim on September 5.
The injury to Giannis Konstantelias has created a gap in the Borussia Dortmund squad. The 23-year-old midfielder is one of several players currently sidelined. Justin Lerma, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ramy Bensebaini are also on the injury list. These absences increase the need for action. Bild quotes the BVB bosses as saying: "BVB-Bosse arbeiten an zwei Transfers".
The report does not name the specific players being targeted. It concerns two reinforcements to replace the injured Konstantelias and increase squad depth. Negotiations are running at full speed with the transfer window closing on Tuesday. Any delay could scupper the Bundesliga side's plans. The current league standing with an opening win provides some breathing room, but the upcoming tasks in the league and cup require a larger squad.
The absence of Ricken and Book from the trip to Hamburg is a clear signal of the club's priorities. The match against HEBC will still go ahead as scheduled. The sporting leadership on site will be handled by other staff members. For the team, the task remains the same: to advance to the next round of the DFB-Pokal. All information on the further schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
The coming hours until Tuesday's deadline are critical for Borussia Dortmund's transfer department. If negotiations are successful, two new faces could be presented before the match against Hoffenheim. The away game in Sinsheim on September 5 is the next Bundesliga fixture.
