Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings ever

The German top-flight has mostly been about the fierce rivalry between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, which has led these clubs to spend hundreds of millions of Euros on signings talented players in order to keep up with each other in the race for the league title and other domestic or international trophies.

Many incredible talents and world-class footballers have graced the pitch wearing Dortmund’s shirt over the years, but few have managed to earn a spot on the list of

Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings

. Surely you too are eager to find out more about these pricy players and their careers. So read on as we provide detailed information about the most expensive Dortmund signings of all time and see how their careers have turned out so far.

Most expensive signings in Dortmund history

From Barcelona’s cursed transfer Ousmane Dembele, to Paris Saint-Germain left-back Abdou Diallo, there are some interesting names on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings. Here is everything you need to know about these players and their transfer market stats.

Julian Brandt

• Transfer fee: €25M

are well-known for their keen attitude towards finding great talents and diamonds in the rough and turning them into phenomenal players. The Bundesliga side have always produced exciting prospects and they are still continuing their tradition by producing great talents year-in year-out. One such player with incredibly high potential is Julian Brandt, who became one of

Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings

by joining the German side from their league rivals Bayer Leverkusen for €25 million in 2019.

Brandt is originally a

youth academy graduate, but he only got to make his professional debut when he joined Leverkusen for less than a million Euros in 2014. The young midfielder was absolutely phenomenal during his time with the Eternal Bridesmaids as he managed to rack up 42 goals and 51 assists in 215 appearances. As an immensely versatile midfielder, Brandt is able to be deployed on both sides of the pitch while also playing his best in the middle of the park.

His impressive stats at Bayer Leverkusen convinced many clubs to contend for his signature and finally led to the German midfielder finding his name amongst the most expensive Dortmund signings of all time with his massive €25 million transfer fee. Julian Brandt has already reached the 100-appearances milestone, in which he has managed to score 13 goals and provide 18 assists. Aside from being one of Dortmund’s all-time most expensive signings, the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has already won the German Cup and the Super Cup throughout the years and is eyeing the Bundesliga title with his current teammates.

Marcio Amoroso

• Transfer fee: €25M

Everyone is talking about how good Erling Haaland is and how many goals he has already managed to score for Dortmund. But few remember the days when the Bundesliga side used to deploy Marcio Amoroso on to frontlines. The Brazilian striker arrived at Dortmund with a lot of hype and his whopping transfer fee did little to stop the hype from increasing each week. Even though the massive €25 million transfer fee was not the highest price a club had paid for the former Brazil international, it was still an eye-watering fee back in 2001.

Amoroso had scored 18 goals in 52 appearances for

in the Serie A before making his move and becoming one of

Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings

. The former Udinese and Parma striker managed to show his class at his then-new club by scoring 43 goals and providing 13 assists in 89 appearances. Even though these numbers are not quite great these days as footballers push their stats and themselves to their limits, Amoroso’s impact could still be felt as he helped his team win the Bundesliga title in his debut season by becoming the German top-flight’s top scorer.

Perhaps with such a heavily inflated transfer market, it won’t be long before we get to see someone replace Marcio Amoroso on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings, but the Brazilian striker will be remembered by the supporters of many other clubs including the likes of Malaga, Sao Paulo,

, Corinthians, Gremio and Guarani. The 47-year-old hung up his boots back in 2017, when he was still active at Boca Raton.

Nico Schulz

• Transfer fee: €25.5M

From what was believed to be a great addition to BVB’s squad depth to a high-maintenance left-back with several injury woes, Nico Schulz really did fall from greatness when he earned a place amongst the

most expensive Dortmund signings of all time

. Schulz rose to prominence as a left-back full of potential at

, where he only got to make a total of 71 appearances before convincing bigger clubs to come after him.

The defender was mainly positioned as a left midfielder during his days at Hoffenheim, which led to him scoring 4 goals and providing 13 assists in the process of those appearances. Schulz initially joined BVB for €25.5 million in 2019, which brought a lot of expectations with its massive amount. However, the German defender was simply not up to the task as his poor form and fitness issues forced him off the pitch as the club sidelined him for good.

Constant injuries have basically crippled the Germany international’s career as he has turned into a classic Ousmane Demebele with all the injuries that he has had so far. Despite being on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings, the former TSG Hoffenheim man is simply not the same player anymore as his current market value is estimated to be around €6 million. At least being at Dortmund has its advantages as well, since Schulz has managed to get his hands on the German Cup and the Super Cup throughout his stay at Signal Iduna Park.

Thorgan Hazard

• Transfer fee: €25.5M

The Hazard brothers took the world by storm when they both thrived as some of the best wingers around at their respective teams. While Eden Hazard moved on to have a great career at

, only to ruin his reputation by joining

and becoming an utter flop after suffering several injuries throughout the years, Thorgan Hazard has been having a rather smooth ride up the ladder of success.

Before earning a spot on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings, Hazard was an up and coming winger at Borussia Monchengladbach, where his market value skyrocketed thanks to his phenomenal form. The Belgium international made a total of 182 appearances for The Colts and managed to score 46 goals and provide 44 assists in the process, after which he joined Dortmund for a reported fee of €25.5 million in the summer of 2019.

The 28-year-old has been a vital part of BVB ever since arriving at the Signal Iduna Park more than three years ago. His mid-season injury in the last campaign might have put a small damper on Hazard’s journey towards a better career in the Bundesliga, but he is slowly reaching his former self once again. As one of the

most expensive signings in Dortmund history

, Thorgan has managed to win the German Cup and the German Super Cup throughout the years and is currently aiming to win the Bundesliga title with the German side.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

• Transfer fee: €27.5M

Few footballers get to play for as many world-class clubs as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has so far played for Shakhtar Donetsk,

, Arsenal,

and of course Borussia Dortmund. While the Armenian has been a top midfielder at every club that he has played for, none could ever reach the days he used to grace the pitch at Shakhtar and Dortmund.

Mkhitaryan earned a place on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings when he joined the Bundesliga side from Shakhtar Donetsk for €27.5 million way back in 2013. The incredibly versatile midfielder spent a total of three years at Dortmund and cemented his place as one of the club’s most memorable players. He went on to make a total of 140 appearances for Dortmund and managed to bag himself 41 goals and 49 assists in the process, which is truly impressive for a midfielder or even a winger of his caliber.

The Armenia international later joined Manchester United for €42 million in 2016 and later switched clubs by joining Arsenal for €34 million in 2018. With how things are going right now, Mkhitaryan will stay amongst

Dortmund’s all-time most expensive signings

for years to come, despite the highly inflated market.

Abdou Diallo

• Transfer fee: €28M

Abdou Diallo might not be as well-known as some of the other names on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive signings, but it will certainly take a long time to replace him on such a rich list after he joined the Bundesliga side from

for €28 million. The 25-year-old is an up-and-coming French left-back and is slowly gaining prominence as the main choice at PSG.

But only a year before joining PSG in 2019, Diallo broke a record to become one of Dortmund’s all-time most expensive signings and quickly got to show everyone what he was made of. The Frenchman turned into his club’s main left-back and went on to make a total of 38 appearances in the single season that he spent at Signal Iduna Park.

The Senegal international is still a long way away from being one of the best left-backs in the world and will have to do a lot more to deserve a place amongst the very best. For the time being, however, he might be happy being on the list of Borussia Dortmund most expensive transfers ever. He got to win the Ligue 1, the French Cup, the League Cup and the French Super Cup in the only season that he spent with the Parisians.

Andre Schurrle

• Transfer fee: €30M

You don’t see players go into early retirement nowadays as playing until mid-30s is now the norm instead of hanging up the boots when reaching early 30s. That is why Andre Schurrle stands out amongst Borussia Dortmund most expensive transfers ever as he decided to put an end to his illustrious career by retiring in the summer of 2020. The German winger joined Dortmund from VfL Wolfsburg for €30 million in 2016, during a time which Schurrle was already lauded as one of the best wingers in Germany.

It was not meant to be for Schurrle, however, as he only managed to spend two seasons with the Dortmund squad, making a total of 51 appearances while scoring 8 goals and providing 10 assists in the process. He helped his side win the German Cup and later went on to spend his time out on loan at clubs such as Fulham and

.

The 2018 World Cup winner decided to hang up his boots at the age of 29 after he failed to recapture the youth and the phenomenal form that he used to have during his days at Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen. Injuries and fitness issues might have forced Schurrle out of the playing field, but he will always be remembered fondly by his supporters. And for the time being, he is still on the list of

Dortmund most expensive transfers ever

.

Donyell Malen

• Transfer fee: €30M

Borussia Dortmund are quite well-known when it comes to signing promising youngsters instead of bringing in big superstars for unbelievably hefty fees. That is exactly why they brought in the 22-year-old Donyell Malen from PSV Eindhoven for €30 million in the 2021 summer transfer window. The Dutch striker has been trained by the best at the Ajax,

and

youth academies and is on the rise to become a lethal goal scorer.

Having graduated from PSV’s youth academy in 2018, the center-forward joined the Eredivisie side’s senior squad in the same year and went on to spend three years with the Red and Whites. Malen made a total of 116 appearances for PSV and managed to impress everyone by scoring an incredible 55 goals and providing 24 assists in the process. These stats were more than enough to convince Dortmund to pay such a hefty fee for a still inexperienced striker.

Perhaps the Dutchman could have waited a bit longer before making his first big-money move as he has not been the same lethal striker ever since moving to Bundesliga. He has only managed to score a single goal while providing two assists in more than 15 appearances this season.

Of course there is still time for him to bounce back and recapture his former fitness to realize his full potential at one of the most-loved clubs in the world. We will have to wait and see if he can fit into the squad while Erling Braut Haaland is still around or if he has to wait for his Norwegian counterpart to leave for a bigger club.

Mats Hummels

• Transfer fee: €30.5M

Mats Hummels has switched sides between Dortmund and

so much that it might be difficult for some to remember whom he is currently playing for. The German center-back is often lauded as one of the best defenders of his generation and is still a solid wall at the back at the age of 32 years old. Hummels first joined Borussia Dortmund for €4.2 million way back in 2009 and went on to become a vital part of club’s squad throughout the years. Fans fell in love with their main defender as he became his side’s captain as time passed.

Seeing how Hummels was performing at Dortmund, Bayern Munich paid a whopping €35 million to acquire back his services in 2016. He went on to deliver on his promises and keep his former side’s backline clean for years as he made a total of  118 appearances for the Bavarians. It was only recently in 2019 that the center-back earned his place amongst the most expensive signings in Dortmund history as BVB paid a little less than €31 million to acquire his services in 2019.

The 2018 World Cup winner has won several trophies with Dortmund throughout the years, but has only managed to win two trophies since becoming one of the club’s most expensive transfers. The 32-year-old center-back will continue his legacy as an iconic defender and it will certainly take a long time to replace his image both as an expensive signing and a great center-back.

Ousmane Dembele

• Transfer fee: €35M

Barcelona supporters and the club’s board of directors will be kicking themselves for eternity as they paid more than a mind-blowing €120 million to sign Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in the same panic-buy period that was started by Neymar’s sudden departure from the club. Dembele has been an utter disappointment for the Blaugrana throughout the years as he only comes out of injury to see the new manager, only to once again be sidelined due to another injury.

Of course we are not here to talk about how bad of an investment Dembele has been for Barcelona and are instead going to delve into the depths of his short career at Dortmund. The 24-year-old Frenchman is considered to be one of the most talented wingers in the world, but constant injuries have kept him from realizing his full potential. The France international joined Dortmund from Stade Rennais for €35 million back in 2016 and went on to spend a single season at Signal Iduna Park before making his big-money move to

.

During that single season, Dembele made a total of 50 appearances for Dortmund and actually managed to chip-in with 10 goals and 22 assists. But he was never ready to put pen on paper for such a gigantic move, which eventually led to his downfall in Spain. We will have to wait and see if he can finally shake off his injuries and bounce back to his former self any time soon.

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