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Borussia Dortmund are one of the top clubs on the continent. Many world-class players have turned up for them over the years. However, most do not stay at the club for long enough.
That has a lot to do with BvB's shrewd transfer policy. The Bundesliga giants have a brilliant network of scouts strewn across the continent who identify up-and-coming players. BvB snap them up and groom these raw diamonds into world-class players.
After these players churn out eye-turning performances, big clubs often snap them up. Dortmund often make significant profits from their departures. However, BvB reinvest that money into unearthing more raw diamonds, and the self-sustaining cycle repeats itself.
That would lead one to wonder: what if Dortmund never let go of most of these precocious talents? They might well have successfully punctuated Bayern Munich's decade-long Bundesliga dominance and made a bigger splash in Europe.
Nevertheless, here is a look at how BvB would have looked like had they retained most of these players. A 4-4-2 formation has been considered for this hypothetical XI. Some players in this XI are still at the club, while others moved on to pastures anew.
Note: All stats are as per transfermarkt unless mentioned otherwise.
# Goalkeeper - Gregor Kobel (€35 million)
Gregor Kobel arrived at Borussia Dortmund this summer from VfB Stuttgart. The Swiss custodian has kept five clean sheets across competitions for his new club.
The former Hoffenheim and Augsburg goalkeeper has made a significant step up, becoming the no.1 at a bigger club in just a few months. His exploits have helped Dortmund move second in the Bundesliga standings; however, BvB were recently knocked out of the Champions League.
Talking about his start to life at BvB and his equation with his compatriots Roman Burki and Marwin Hitz, Kobel said:
"It is a special situation that the three of us are Swiss, of course. And of course not easy. But we all work together and try to push each other. I'm now in a top 10 club in the world of football. But the biggest adjustment is of course the Champions League, the triple load, a game every three days, a lot more travel."
# Left-back - Raphael Guerreiro (€40 million)
Raphael Guerreiro is one of the best goalscoring full-backs in the game at the moment.
The Dortmund left-back arrived in Dortmund in the summer of 2016. He has contributed 65 goals (32 goals, 33 assists) in over 170 games across competitions. Last season, he enjoyed a career-best campaign, racking up six goals and 11 assists.
Thanks to his exploits, BvB finished third in the Bundesliga, won the DFB Pokal and made the Champions League quarter-finals. Guerreiro has had four goal contributions (three goals and an assist) - all in the Bundesliga - this campaign.
# Centre-back - Antonio Rudiger (€35 million)
Antonio Rudiger is widely regarded as one of the top centre-backs in the game at the moment.
Proficient at both ends, the former Borussia Dortmund player played a key role in Chelsea's unlikely Champions League triumph last season. Interestingly, the Germany international started out in Dortmund as a teenager more than a decade ago.
However, he didn't feature for the senior team before he moved on to Stuttgart.
The 28-year-old has been a key player at Chelsea since arriving at the club in the summer of 2017. With Rudiger yet to agree a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, it remains to be seen where he lands up next summer.
# Centre-back - Mats Hummels (€12 million)
Mats Hummels is one of the game's premier goalscoring centre-backs. At 32, he may not be what he was when he first started out at Borussia Dortmund in 2007. However, Hummels more than makes up for that with his experience, positional awareness and ability at both ends.
The Germany international is one of a handful of players to win multiple Bundesliga titles with multiple teams. Recently, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner became only the sixth BvB player to rack up 300 Bundesliga appearances for the club.
Hummels scored six times across competitions last season, but has netted just once this campaign.
# Right-back - Achraf Hakimi (€70 million)
Well, Achraf Hakimi was never technically a Borussia Dortmund player, as he was only on loan at BvB from Real Madrid.
Nevertheless, the young right-back lit up Stadion Iduna Park during his two-year stint. Although the Bundesliga title eluded him, Hakimi racked up 12 goals and 17 assists for BvB.
However, Dortmund couldn't sign him at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, as Madrid's asking price for the player was too high.
Now at PSG, the 23-year-old is on his way to winning successive league titles in two different countries; he won Serie A with Inter Milan last season.
# Central Midfielder - Ilkay Gundogan (€40 million)
Former Borussia Dortmund player Ilkay Gundogan is one of the top goalscoring midfielders in the game at the moment.
The 31-year-old was a key player in BvB's last Bundesliga-winning team in 2011-12. A year later, Gundogan scored in the Champions League final at Wembley, only for Bayern Munich to win 2-1 on the night.
After making his mark under Jurgen Klopp, Gundogan joined forces with Pep Guardiola when he arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2016.
The three-time Premier League winner has racked up 42 goals and 31 assists from central midfield for City. That includes 13 strikes and four assists in City's Premier League-winning campaign last season. Gundogan has already scored thrice this campaign.
# Central Midfielder - Jude Bellingham (€70 million)
Jude Bellingham is arguably one of the best young midfielders in the game at the moment.
The Borussia Dortmund, still only 18, has already racked up 100 appearances for the club, bagging 11 goals and 15 assists. Recently, Bellingham became the youngest player to score in consecutive Champions League games.
The Englishman has displayed maturity belying his tender years. Already the subject of interest from many top clubs, Bellingham may not remain at Dortmund for too long if he continues his imperious performances.
# Left Midfield - Jadon Sancho (€90 million)
Jadon Sancho is one of the best young midfielders around. Still only 21, he enjoyed a prolific four-year stint at Borussia Dortmund before moving to Manchester United this summer.
The Englishman racked up a staggering tally of 50 assists and 66 assists across competitions for BvB. He registered successive double-digit goals and assist tallies in consecutive Bundesliga seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20). In fact, he had a 12-assist campaign last season, but scored only eight league goals.
Considering his stellar exploits, it was always a matter of time before Sancho would move to a bigger club. After resisting Manchester United last summer, Dortmund eventually let go of their prized asset this summer, fetching €85 million in the bargain.
Sancho has made a quiet start at Old Trafford, but seems to have rediscovered his BvB form recently.
# Right Midfielder - Ousmane Dembele (€50 million)
It may be difficult to fathom that Ousmane Dembele dazzled at Borussia Dortmund, considering his Barcelona performances.
In his lone season at Signal Iduna Park, the Frenchman made heads turn, racking up 31 goal contributions. The then 20-year-old caught the attention of Barcelona. Nevertheless, eyebrows were raised when the Blaugrana paid almost €100 million more for the then €35 million-rated Dembele.
Still only 24, Dembele is on the cusp of an exit from Barcelona after a combination of injuries and poor form meant he never got going at Camp Nou.
# Striker - Robert Lewandowski (€60 million)
Robert Lewandowski is the hottest striker on the planet at the moment. The 2021 Ballon d'Or runner-up racks up goals for fun. He has racked up over 300 strikes for Bayern Munich since arriving on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014.
However, the prolific Pole first made his name at BvB, plundering 100 strikes in just four seasons. He won two Bundesliga titles for them. and also reached one Champions League final (2013).
However, the opportunity to join Bayern Munich was too tempting to let go. Suffice to say, Lewandowski surely hasn't regretted moving to Bavaria.
That leaves one to ponder: what if BvB managed to keep hold of Lewandowski? He could have formed a fearsome striking partnership with Erling Haaland (more on him later).
Nevertheless, Borussia Dortmund's loss turned out to be Bayern Munich's gain as BvB were left to wonder what might have been.
# Striker - Erling Haaland (€150 million)
Erling Haaland is one of the best young strikers in the game at the moment. The goal machine has racked up 74 goals and 27 assists in just 77 games for Dortmund.
The 21-year-old plundered 41 goals across competitions last season, and is already up to 17 this campaign.
It is only a matter of time before the Norway international is snapped up by a big club. He reportedly already has a beeline for his services.
It remains to be seen if BvB can hold on to their prized asset beyond next summer.
