Julian Brandt: Marco Reus "desperately wanted me to come to Borussia Dortmund"

Julian Brandt has revealed how it was Marco Reus who convinced him to join Borussia Dortmund this summer, and that he shares the Westphalian club's ambitious vision.

Brandt was one of four big-name signings Dortmund made this summer, as they underlined their ambition to take their challenge to Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title onto another level this term.

Together with Thorgan Hazard, Mats Hummels and Nico Schulz, Borussia – who only narrowly missed out on the title last term, taking the race with Bayern to the final day of the season – have made an unequivocal statement in the transfer market and boast a degree of depth that, it is hoped, will make them even more formidable this term.

Many might call Brandt - a homegrown, versatile and tremendously gifted attacker - Reus' heir apparent. The young man is tailor-made to fit in to this Black-and-Yellows side, and it is striking the impression Brandt made on his new captain and team-mate.

"Hey Jules, why don't you come to Dortmund?" Marco Reus (r.) convinced Julian Brandt (l.) to join Borussia Dortmund while the pair were on international duty for Germany. - imago images / Team 2

"On one of our trips with the national team, he came over to me and said he desperately wanted me to join him at Dortmund," Brandt told the Bild newspaper. "You could tell it wasn't the club sending him, but Marco coming to me of his own free will.

"He was really honest to me, telling me what the club means to him, where he thinks I can still improve and how this club can help me do that. Of course he only had positive things to say to me. We chatted like you do in the dressing room, and I trusted every word he said. He said he has faith in the decision-makers and that something big can happen here."

And it is not just Dortmund's transfer dealings that have revealed the extent of their ambitions this season. They have stated publicly that the title should be returning to Westphalia in May, and Brandt is delighted by such a confident outlook.

"I have no problem with that," Brandt told Kicker magazine. "Leverkusen used to be quite cautious when it came to their objectives, whereas I'd often be the one with the big mouth. Everybody knows what we want in the end – it's no secret – but I hope and expect that we carry on where the team left off last year. When the club are so open about their title ambitions, then it's quite easy to fall in line.

Together stronger: Marco Reus (l.) and Julian Brandt (r.) will be wearing the same shirt this season, and hoping to win the Bundesliga together with Borussia Dortmund. - 2018 Getty Images

"I don't want to increase the pressure on us, because it's high enough as it is, but we need to improve and see what we can do. We've got the quality to make an impression in every competition. One of the starkest differences I noticed is how much quality there is in depth in Dortmund."

Nevertheless, Brandt knows Bayern remain the team to beat, but does not rule out other challengers in what is set to be the tightest title race in years.

"It's intriguing – not just with us and Bayern, but also Leipzig, who did a great job last year," said the Germany international. "I'm curious to see how they will do under Julian Nagelsmann. They've established themselves as number three in Germany and are bound to feel a need to win the league sooner or later."

They will have to reckon with Dortmund, though, with the DFL Supercup winners hungry for more in 2019/20, especially the biggest domestic prize of all.