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Borussia Dortmund will have to replace the irreplaceable once again. First, it was Robert Lewandowski and now it is Erling Haaland. Although just 21, he has the world at his feet with a number of European clubs ready to break the bank to sign him.
Luckily for the Black and Yellows, they will not be tormented by their close rivals Bayern Munich again. The likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and others are all in the race to secure Erling Haaland's signature as well.
Sending him away from the German Bundesliga would be good for the league. It will promote the competition at the top rather than making life easy for the Bavarians. Although the world is discussing the Norwegian's potential options, few seem to care about what will happen to Borussia Dortmund once Haaland leaves.
Erling Haaland has scored 80 goals in 81 apperances for Dortmund
Without the Norway international in their ranks, the Black and Yellows would have struggled badly in domestic competitions as well as continental tournaments in the recent past. He has been the saving grace for the club and it is hard to imagine that anyone who succeeds him will be able to replicate his form.
But this is how football is and life will progress after the prolific Norwegian leaves the Bundesliga club. Where will Borussia Dortmund's search end though?
Here are the five players who could replace Erling Haaland at Dortmund.
#5 Donyell Malen
This might seem a bit far-fetched given how Donyell Malen has fared in his first season in the Bundesliga. However, Borussia Dortmund did pay €30 million to sign him. The expectation was that when the time came for Erling Haaland to leave, his successor would be ready.
Playing for PSV Eindhoven, the Dutchman was a sensation in his three seasons in the Eredivisie, scoring 40 goals and providing 18 assists in 77 appearances.
In that same period, he scored 10 goals in 16 Europa League matches. A centre-forward by nature, he is well and truly capable of playing on either wing and has proven his productivity from the wide positions as well.
Erling Haaland's explosive pace with which he runs behind the ball is a big asset in his overall game. Similarly, Malen possesses blistering pace and his work off the ball is commendable, making him a constant danger on the counter-attack.
Borussia Dortmund have provided many young guns with the right environment to grow into their best versions. The 23-year old will feel more valued after the Norwegian striker departs and his responsibilities will increase as well.
Malen has shown in the Dutch top-flight that the quality is there and he will now be eager to prove it in the Bundesliga.
#4 Patrik Schick
Patrick Schick has had the most prolific season of his career and it could only get better as the season progresses. The centre-forward has scored 20 goals in 20 German top-flight appearances for Bayer Leverkusen.
With Erling Haaland on the sidelines for a significant chunk of the season, the Czech Republic striker is with Robert Lewandowski at the top of the goalscorer charts.
Notably, both Schick and the Borussia Dortmund marksman have an impressive strike rate of 1 goal/match. The Leverkusen striker is in his third Bundesliga season, having also represented RB Leipzig in the 2019-20 campaign.
Schick is a more experienced option to invest in. Unlike Malen, who can also find joy from the wider position, Schick is an out-and-out centre-forward.
With his performances at Euro 2020, the Czech international proved to be truly capable of delivering on the big occasion and Borussia Dortmund can trust him to deliver. The striker used his tall frame to the best of his advantage and is more or less a traditional target man.
With his clever movement, Schick allowed his fellow attackers to get into dangerous positions by taking the defenders away with him. His impressive pace coupled with his poaching abilities means Borussia Dortmund will not miss Erling Haaland all that much.
#3 Andre Silva
Dortmund are known to shop in their own backyard and sign players from fellow Bundesliga clubs. In that regard, Andre Silva is another candidate who the Black and Yellows could target to replace Erling Haaland. The Portuguese has always been highly-rated but in the last couple of years has really shown why.
Like Schick, Silva also has three years of experience in the Bundesliga and has reached double figures for goals in each of those three campaigns. He scored 28 goals in the German top-flight and also provided four assists for Eintracht Frankfurt last season.
RB Leipzig signed him last summer for a price tag of 23 million. His performances have dipped compared to last season, with Silva scoring 10 times in 26 appearances this season and providing an assist on four occasions.
The Portuguese is a complete striker who also creates lots of chances for his teammates by dropping deep when needed. Silva has shown great composure inside the box and takes his chances with great precision. Silva has also shown that he can thrive in a two-striker system.
Borussia Dortmund could try playing Donyell Malen and the RB Leipzig striker together to get the best out of both.
#2 Alexander Isak
The sale of the Norwegian striker will generate great fortune and the Black and Yellows need not be miserly when it comes to signing his successor. Should they choose to spend freely, Alexander Isak will make for a great signing. The Swedish international has a burgeoning reputation thanks to his performances at Real Sociedad.
Isak is familiar with Borussia Dortmund as well, having signed with them in 2017. He joined the La Liga side in 2019 with the club making a decent profit. Back then, Isak only made 11 appearances for the first team with only a couple of starts. However, he did register one goal and one assist.
At Real Sociedad, Isak has really transformed his game and shown why he can fill the giant boots of Erling Haaland. The 22-year-old scored 17 goals in 34 La Liga appearances last season. The goals have dried up this season but he continues to create chances for his teammates.
In terms of ball retention, Isak is very much like Erling Haaland, using his body to his advantage and staying standing firm to ride challenges and pressure. Isak can run past defenses and is also comfortable in one-vs-one situations. He is able to move out of tight spaces to occupy the wider areas thanks to his great dribbling.
Borussia Dortmund have a buy-back clause in Isak's deal and that could help them land the striker with some sort of ease. However, Arsenal have long been admirers of the Sweden international and would make life tough for the Bundesliga side.
#1 Karim Adeyemi
Isn't it best to replace Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund by bringing in the man who replaced him at RB Salzburg? Karim Adeyemi has been spitting fire in the Austrian Bundesliga for the Norwegian's former club for the last two years.
At the tender age of 20, Adeyemi has already made his senior German debut and scored his first goal against Armenia in the World Cup qualifiers.
The Salzburg striker's current market value is €35 million and Borussia Dortmund have been actively involved in securing a deal for him. Adeyemi has a knack for scoring goals and his quick and clinical finishing in front of the sticks is proof of that.
Unlike many forwards at this age, who are still figuring out how the game works, Adeyemi's understanding of the game is impressive.
Adeyemi avoids unnecessary movement without the ball, positions himself cleverly and utilizes his impressive turn of pace to great effect in attacking situations. The versatile forward can play in any position in the front-three and has scored 19 goals in 36 appearances this season across all competitions.
