Kovač says current Dortmund squad lacks 'extra skills' of past stars
Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač has stated his current squad lacks the elite individual talent of recent departed stars like Jadon Sancho, Ousmane Dembélé, and Erling Haaland. Speaking at a discussion event hosted by Reiner Calmund on Monday evening, Kovač addressed the perceived gap in his team's attacking firepower compared to recent seasons.
Kovač pointed to a specific shortfall in his roster. "What we certainly don’t have are those players that maybe some people here would like to see – with those extra skills," he said, according to reports from the event. He elaborated by naming former players, adding, "I think what we or the fans are missing is maybe players like Jadon Sancho, Haaland, Dembélé and Marco Reus." The comments highlight a clear shift in the profile of the Dortmund squad since the high-profile sales of those attacking talents.
Despite this assessment, Kovač was quick to praise his current group and the work being done. "I believe we are already doing a good job with the players we have. They are excellent and I am happy to work with them, but of course we also want to improve," he said. The Croatian coach, who was appointed in January 2025 and is under contract until 2027, appears to be balancing realism about the squad's composition with support for his players.
The remarks are likely to be interpreted as a public acknowledgement of Dortmund's current position in the transfer market's food chain. Since the departures of Sancho to Manchester United, Haaland to Manchester City, and Dembélé years earlier to Barcelona, the club has continued its model of developing young talent but has not retained a player of that global stature. The recent exit of long-serving captain Marco Reus, whom Kovač also mentioned, further depleted the squad's experience and star power.
This public admission from the coach will inevitably fuel speculation about Dortmund's transfer strategy ahead of the summer window. The club has recently invested in younger prospects like Youssoufa Moukoko and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who are yet to consistently reach the explosive levels of their predecessors. Kovač's comments suggest a desire to potentially bridge that gap, either through the accelerated development of current players or a strategic dip into the market for a more established game-changer. For now, the focus remains on maximizing the potential of the existing group while the club's sporting leadership considers its next moves.
