Borussia Dortmund is heading into the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with a significantly rejuvenated squad. This is according to a report by www.getfootballnewsgermany.com this week, detailing BVB's transfer business and pre-season results. Last season's runners-up, who finished with 64 points, 19 wins and a +31 goal difference, ended up twelve points behind champions Bayern Munich. The first challenge is the home match against 13th-placed Hamburger SV on August 29, with Nico Schlotterbeck, Carney Chukwuemeka and Ramy Bensebaini currently sidelined.

How has the squad changed?

Sporting director Nils Ole Book and head coach Niko Kovač have used the summer of 2026 for a major overhaul. The estimated net transfer balance is negative €70 million, following spending of €108.5 million. The signings of Konstantinos Karetsas (€30m from Genk), Giannis Konstantelias (€26m from PAOK) and Joey Veerman (€22m from PSV) are the most expensive arrivals. They were joined by Joane Gadou (€19.5m from Salzburg), Kauã Prates (€7m from Cruzeiro) and Justin Lerma (€4m).

Departures included Karim Adeyemi (€22m to Barcelona), Julian Brandt (free to Ajax) and Julien Duranville (€5m to Lyon). Niklas Süle retired. The average age of the new signings is just 19.7 years. Academy products Samuele Inácio, Mathis Albert, Enzo dos Santos and Mussa Kaba were promoted to the first team. The current squad status can be viewed on our squad page.

How did the pre-season go?

Pre-season was marked by experiments and mixed results. A 3-1 win over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen saw Justin Lerma score his first BVB goal. A 2-1 loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf followed after leading at halftime. In Japan, there was a 1-0 loss to Cerezo Osaka, where Filippo Mané suffered a thigh problem, and a 1-0 win over FC Tokyo thanks to a goal from Fábio Silva.

In that match, Kovač tested Maximilian Beier and Daniel Svensson as inverted wing-backs. "He liked the experiment enough to call it an option for the future," said Niko Kovač. The pre-season highlight was a 3-2 win at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Samuele Inácio scored the opener, with Konstantinos Karetsas adding the second.

What is Kovač's tactical plan?

Head coach Niko Kovač is committed to a 3-4-2-1 formation. The friendlies showed he wants flexibility within this system. Using forwards like Beier in wing-back roles highlights the desire for variable attacking options. The many young players now need to integrate quickly into this tactical framework.

Defensive injuries, particularly to Schlotterbeck and Bensebaini, pose an early challenge. The current injuries list shows the need for the newcomers to settle fast. The coming weeks will reveal if the tactical ideas work in Bundesliga practice.

What does this mean for the season opener?

The season opener against Hamburger SV is the first real test for the new, young team. Pre-season offered promising signs, like the win in London, but also setbacks. The major task will be molding the many new faces into a cohesive unit. Last season's final standings and the upcoming fixtures can be tracked on our standings page. Focus is now entirely on the first competitive match to start pursuing the ambitious goals for the new campaign.