Dortmund will sign replacement for cancer-stricken Haller in next few days, says Watzke
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed that the club will sign a replacement for Sebastien Haller as he continues his recovery from cancer. The former Ajax forward has been diagnosed with a testicular tumour, which turned out to be malignant, earlier in July and has already completed the first stage of his treatment.
Haller joined Dortmund from Ajax on a four-year deal worth a reported £27 million ($33m) earlier this summer. He was set to boost Edin Terzic's attack following the departure of Erling Haaland to Premier League champions Manchester City in May.
What have Dortmund said about signing a replacement for Haller?
Haller will be out for several months as he continues to recover from testicular cancer and Dortmund are looking into signing a short-term replacement.
"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," Watzke said in an interview with Sportschau.
"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!
— Sébastien Haller (@HallerSeb) July 21, 2022
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
Which players could Dortmund target?
A lot of names have been floated as the potential replacement for Haller, including former Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani. The 35-year-old is a free agent but is reported to be demanding €10 million in wages, which might be a major stumbling block for Dortmund.
Anthony Modeste is another name that is doing the rounds. The Koln striker, who scored 20 goals in 32 appearances in Bundesliga last season, has reportedly been offered to BVB and the player is open to the switch. The likes of Mauro Icardi, Jhon Cordoba, Krzysztof Piatek, and Edin Dzeko have also been mooted as potential targets.