The former Bayern Munich and Inter midfielder believes Lucien Favre’s side are in need of reinforcements if they are to challenge in the Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund signing Juventus duo Emre Can and Mario Mandzukic would go a long way to solving the troubled Bundesliga club’s problems, according to Lothar Matthaus.
Lucien Favre is coming under increasing pressure at the club, with Dortmund having to come from 3-0 down to draw at home to the Bundesliga’s bottom side Paderborn on Friday.
While the result only left them five points off the top of the table, the optimism which surrounded the club during their title challenge last season is fast evaporating.
“Their biggest shortcoming is, in my opinion, that they simply have too few winners,” Matthaus wrote for Sky Germany.
“Only Mats Hummels and maybe Mario Gotze have really had any great success. Even Marco Reus has only won the DFB-Pokal once. Very few know what it means to lift a big trophy in the air.
“They lack the certain something that you need to be successful – greed for success.”
Defensive midfielder Can and striker Mandzukic are both widely expected to leave Juventus in the near-future, with neither playing regularly in Turin this season.
Manchester United are among the clubs to have been linked with both players, but Matthaus thinks Dortmund desperately need an injection of quality and experience.
“Both [Can and Mandzukic] have this absolute will to win something and have already done so at national and international level,” he said.
“Neither of them are appreciated by Juve as they would like to be and I know that that are ready for a transfer and are available for a reasonable price.
“If I was at Dortmund, I would get on the plane to Turin straight away and try to sign them both. They know the Bundesliga, they speak the language, they would most likely be able to play straight away and they bring the kind of character on the pitch that Dortmund fans love.
“Aggressive, combative, giving everything to the last second. They never leave the pitch with a clean shirt.
“Can is a really good number six and can also play in central defence. Despite his age, Mandzukic is one of the most unpleasant opponents you can imagine as a defender, and both are great team players.
“They would be two great reinforcements for Dortmund.”
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