Borussia Dortmund hoping Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland can bring "best team ever" trophies
Borussia Dortmund hope Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland can lead "the best team we have ever had" to trophies this season, says BVB title-winner Sebastian Kehl.
Since arriving in Dortmund from Manchester City as a promising but raw 17-year-old recruit in 2017, Sancho has enjoyed a spectacular rise to the top of the game, establishing himself as a first-team regular for club and country.
And the five-time Bundesliga champions have high hopes for what Sancho will bring this season.
“He is happy to play football. Yes, some day he might leave for a new challenge but right now he is happy at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Dortmund is happy to have him," Kehl, a back-to-back Bundesliga champion under Jürgen Klopp between 2010 and 2012, told Ruhr Nachrichten.
"He is here - and he will stay here. It was an important statement from the club because we have a certain responsibility. Without Jadon, this team is worse."
Watch: Sancho and Haaland tear Mönchengladbach apart on Matchday 1
Sancho, who has been involved in 69 goals in just 79 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, immediately struck up a prolific understanding with Haaland when the Norway international arrived at the Signal Iduna Park from RB Salzburg in January.
Haaland hit an incredible 13 goals in his first 15 Bundesliga games last season and found the net twice in his club's 3-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 campaign.
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Kehl, who featured in the same BVB team as Robert Lewandowski until the prolific Pole's departure for Bayern Munich in 2014, believes the 20-year-old has all the attributes to emulate his former teammate.
"I hope Haaland can follow the same path as Robert Lewandowski. He needs time to develop to get to that level. Haaland is an incredible talent. He's very passionate, and has that winner's mentality that we desperately needed. Let's hope he'll stay healthy and contribute to our cause," explained Kehl, now head of Dortmund's professional teams department.
"This is the best team we have had. We have a good blend of very good players, youngsters and adults. We have tried to develop the team over recent years. We hope to be able to win trophies this season, because it's trophies that count most in the end."
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