Sebastian Haller will be replaced by a new player while he continues his recovery from cancer, according to Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. The former Ajax striker received a testicular cancer diagnosis earlier in July and has already finished the initial phase of his treatment.
Haller joined Dortmund from Ajax earlier this summer on a four-year contract worth an estimated £27 million ($33 million). Following the departure of Erling Haaland to Premier League champions Manchester City, he was expected to strengthen Edin Terzic’s frontline.
What Does Watzke Say About Replacing Haller?
Haller will be away for many months as he starts to recuperate from testicular cancer, and Dortmund is looking into signing a temporary substitute.
Watzke stated in a Sportschau interview, “We said as long as we don’t have a clear diagnosis, we have to keep the ball flat first. That’s also a matter of respect for the boy,
“But we have it now and of course, it’s clear then that the downtime will be relatively long.
“Now dumping everything on Youssoufa Moukoko’s shoulders, he’s 17 years old, that might be a bit too much. We’ll do something again in terms of personnel. Ideally, something should happen in the next eight to ten days.”
Bsr tt le monde je tenais à vs informé que la 1er Étape a été accomplie!
Je tiens à remercié être le @BVB et l’équipe médical qui ont été exceptionnel ac moi. Un grand merci également à tt le personnel soignant de l’hôpital pour leur accompagnement – bienveillance 🙏🏽💪🏾#step1 pic.twitter.com/jr1G7ILYZI— Sébastien Haller (@HallerSeb) July 21, 2022
Related: Borussia Dortmund New Signing Haller Diagnosed With Testicular Tumor
Who Could Dortmund Bring In?
Edinson Cavani, a former Man United forward, is one of many names that have been mentioned as a possible Haller replacement. The 35-year-old is reportedly asking over €10 million in salaries despite being a free agent, which may be a major obstacle for Dortmund.
Another name that is being thrown around is Anthony Modeste. According to reports, BVB has made an offer to the Koln striker, who scored 20 goals in 32 Bundesliga games last season, and the player is open to the change. Additionally mentioned as potential targets are players like Mauro Icardi, Jhon Cordoba, Krzysztof Piatek, and Edin Dzeko.
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