Xherdan Shaqiri in, Jakub Blaszczykowski out at Borussia Dortmund? Analysing the pros...

Xherdan Shaqiri in, Jakub Blaszczykowski out at Borussia Dortmund? Analysing the pros and cons [VIDEO]

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Recent media is rife with speculation about the 23-year-old Swiss’ impending departure from Inter Milan.

It is now purported that Shaqiri has expressed a wish to join Borussia Dortmund, who look equally curious about the prospect of working with him, but there are hurdles to clear first. One of them appears to be midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski (30), who is reported to be let go in return. Would this pose a desirable swap?

Borussia Dortmund are slowly maturing: The average age of the squad has slowly shifted from early to the late 20s. That is by no means a downright bad thing. However, it will eventually call for a new generation to come in and tackle the old guard, be it through the club’s own ranks or from outside.

Chatter is this might be on the brink of happening in the case of Blaszczykowski, long-time servant of the club, who could be replaced by seven-years-younger Shaqiri from Inter. It is an emotionally charged discussion for fans, not only on account of Blaszczykowski’s status as a BVB icon but perhaps also owing to Shaqiri’s footballing past including a three-year stint at FC Bayern Munich. That said, what if we extract the emotion and warm feelings out of it and solely focus on both players’ individual and tactical abilities?

Jakub Blaszczykowski (30)

The Polish national captain and veteran Dortmund winger has been darting up and down BVB’s right-flank for almost eight years now. He made his impact essentially from the very beginning, epitomising former coach Juergen Klopp’s idea of aggressive attacking football and had his starting XI spot secured for countless years.

Kuba (as his jersey read until 2013) is a fast, highly skilled winger with a deft touch and strong vision. His understanding with Polish compatriot Lukas Piszczek – Dortmund’s right-back – has been stellar for years and there is a wealth of examples to review regarding brilliant Polish coproductions leading up to goals, especially during BVB’s title-winning years.

By the same token, Kuba’s tactical inflexibility has to be debated in that he is very much entrenched in the one right-wing position. Very few excursions aside, the Polish skipper has not been utilised anywhere else on the park, which most likely has a reason. Whilst technically gifted, Blaszczykowski’s finishing skills have never really become qualities to write home about. He does compensate for it with unrelenting effort and the kind of work ethos people in and around Dortmund greatly appreciate. He has also proven year after year to harmonise well with the side, which is a quality you cannot overstate.

In other words, a healthy Kuba playing to his best abilities is still an asset to have. Regrettably, the fan favourite was forced out of the squad by ill luck more often than not last season, spending the bigger part of the previous campaign either ruled out by injury or in sports rehab fighting for his comeback. Kuba only managed to rack up two league matches in 2014-15, which is beyond good and evil and supposably marking the worst season of his career. Now, the crux for him is not only to return to an entirely new coach and coaching staff, but also to hit the ground running off the back of a year of personal setbacks.

Xherdan Shaqiri (23)

Shaqiri has had a bumpy first season at Inter. In spite of getting off to a solid start, he found himself parked on the bench for much of the season. The Swiss scored one goal in 15 league appearances. While that makes for a better employment reference letter, it does not fully cover up the fact that Shaqiri too had a stagnating second half of the season. In that sense, both players are likely to be slightly out of sync with a fast, functioning side on the pitch and will have some catching up to do. Shaqiri, however, does not grapple with injury woes, which gives him an edge over the Pole. With regards to tactical capacities, the 23-year-old claims to be of versatile ilk, being able to play ‘everywhere‘.

The jury is still out on that, but for Dortmund specifically it can be argued that more is not always better. The likes of Kevin Kampl, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jonas Hofmann are already highly flexible players and there is little evidence that suggests that the more one-track players are disadvantaged (in fact Kuba has always benefitted from not being shuffled around the pitch).

As for physique, Shaqiri is a lot bulkier than Kuba, which innately helps him hold off opponents and, more strinkingly, equips him with a frightening left boot. Shaqiri frequently musters up the courage to shoot from distance, which is an element Dortmund are in dire need of. On the other hand, it would take time for him to get acquainted with the new players of which he knows no one but Swiss national teammate Roman Buerki.

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So, is this a deal Dortmund should pursue? Shaqiri has some tantalising skills and would be of merit for the team. There is a case to be made, however, that BVB should have contemplated that move last Winter, when instead Kampl was signed to come to the rescue of the struggling giants. Provided reports are acurate and Dortmund management are to weigh up the pros and cons of the decision, they would find Shaqiri’s abilities on the plus side, a rumoured €15 million plus the loss of Jakub Blaszczykowski on the downside.

It looks like a case of potential risks exceeding potential gains.

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