Borussia Dortmund

The UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday, as Borussia Dortmund visit Benfica in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash.

BVB finished ahead of La Liga giants Real Madrid during the group stages, but the Germans have struggled for form of late. Benfica sit atop the Portuguese league and tend to make life hard on top clubs, so Tuesday's fixture should be a good one.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match.

Date: Tuesday, February 14

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT

Venue: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal

TV Info: BT Sport 3 (UK), Fox Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport app, Fox Soccer 2Go

Team News

Mario Gotze, Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek all missed the 2-1 Bundesliga loss to Darmstadt on Saturday, and there was a scare when at first it seemed star youngster Ousmane Dembele also didn't travel.

As shared by Bundesliga writer Lars Pollmann, manager Thomas Tuchel later clarified things:

https://twitter.com/LarsPollmann/status/830463389856104449

All apart from Dembele remain doubts, while the likes of Nuri Sahin and Sebastian Rode have been out with long-term injuries, per Transfermarkt.co.uk.

For Benfica, Lisandro Lopez remains sidelined, while Alex Grimaldo wasn't registered for the Champions League. Andrija Zivkovic is suspended.

Possible Benfica XI: Ederson Moraes, Eliseu, Victor Lindelof, Luisao, Nelson Semedo, Andre Carrillo, Pizzi, Ljubomir Fejsa, Franco Cervi, Kostas Mitroglou, Jonas

Possible BVB XI: Roman Burki, Matthias Ginter, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Dzenis Burnic, Christian Pulisic, Julian Weigl, Raphael Guerreiro, Erik Durm, Ousmane Dembele, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Preview

All is not well with Dortmund, who have won just one of their last three Bundesliga matches and are coming off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Darmstadt―still ranked last in the Bundesliga and winless in the league in 2017 until that match.

While Die Schwarzgelben are not yet in crisis mode, Pollmann believes the future of Tuchel isn't clear at this point:

https://twitter.com/LarsPollmann/status/830455667701985281

Some positivity is sorely needed, and a big win in the Champions League would do the trick. BVB haven't been particularly consistent this season, but at their best, they remain an entertaining squad that is capable of beating Benfica.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains the main goal threat, but Dembele has been the breakout performer of the year so far, and the squad has quickly grown reliant on his flashes of brilliance.

Per WhoScored.com, his ability to create is remarkable:

Ousmane Dembélé: Has created more clear-cut chances (10) than any other player in the Bundesliga this season #bvb pic.twitter.com/xYI3BqtgCB

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) February 11, 2017

He and his team-mates face a stiff test against a disciplined Benfica defence that features top talent expected to move to bigger clubs during the summer. Victor Lindelof was linked with Manchester United throughout January, per The Sun's Tom Sheen, and Nelson Semedo is also regarded as a future star.

Up front, Jonas and Kostas Mitroglou are a proven duo with bags of experience at European level. The former hasn't been as productive as he was last season, but the two still play well off each other and are always a threat.

Benfica's form hasn't been spectacular, but at home against a struggling BVB outfit, the Portuguese side should find some success.

Prediction: Benfica 1-1 Borussia Dortmund

Arguably the biggest story of the January transfer window was Alexander Isak's move from AIK to Borussia Dortmund for a reported €10 million (£8.65 million), per the Guardian's Marcus Christenson.

It doesn't matter how dull the month was otherwise; when a club beats Real Madrid to the signing of one of the most prodigious young talents in football, that's big news.

That's exactly what BVB managed, and it's heartening to see that players are willing to learn from others' mistakes. Isak need only look at how the Martin Odegaard situation has panned out at the Santiago Bernabeu to understand the dangers of selecting a club like Real Madrid this early, and he—in addition to his advisers—has made a good choice in Dortmund.

Thomas Tuchel's steady integration and smart use of Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic and Julian Weigl stand as a marker for how BVB treat their teenage prospects. Not too much too soon, not too little, with just enough room to express yourself and, if you mess up, the manager will not throw you under the bus.

It's arguable Emre Mor and Mikel Merino can be a little disappointed with their playing time, but there are only so many kids you can fit into one XI.

Isak will be treated with the same level of respect. He joins with the spotlight fixed to him, but Tuchel will likely stash him away for the time being and get him up to speed in training. It's worth noting that he's actually in pre-season, with the Allsvenskan league having finished in November.

So what can fans expect? What kind of 17-year-old already has two caps for his country, has played a key part in a domestic title challenge and has already cost €10 million despite playing in UEFA's 20th-ranked league?

Those genuinely expecting the "new Zlatan Ibrahimovic" might well be bitterly disappointed. That's a moniker he's been given, but it's a lazy one, and it doesn't accurately convey what kind of player he is. He only has that because he's an excellent striker from Sweden.

Bleacher Report profiled him back in October, pulling in three far better comparison points: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund), Inaki Williams (Athletic Club Bilbao) and Roberto Firmino (Liverpool). If you're looking for a general feel for the player, then Aubameyang is the closest—and it's great that Isak will now learn from the man every day on the training pitch—but he's an amalgamation of all three.

He compares to Aubameyang because of his frame and his characteristics. He's slight and probably won't get that much bigger; he's extremely fast over the top and in the channels; and he possesses the same fluid-finishing traits as the Gabon international.

He has the agility to skip away from markers and create an angle for a finish—something he did ruthlessly against Norrkoping in October. He's willing to use his first touch to move the ball into space and away from markers—not just to control the ball and get it under—and that gives him a one-second window to find a finish.

In that same game against Norrkoping, he also demonstrated his predatory instincts in the box, peeling away from his markers to volley a beautiful, controlled finish into the top of the net.

Isak has shown an ability to free himself up at the far post, which, again, compares quite closely to Aubameyang—although hopefully he'll miss fewer chances from two yards in his career.

The similarities between Isak and Inaki Williams are physical; they're both speedy, direct runners off the shoulder and, should the Sweden international be fielded in a two-man strike partnership (as he was at AIK) or as a wide forward, he'll take every chance to nip in behind and stretch the defence.

Despite being a predominantly central player, Isak is comfortable splitting wide to receive possession. Part of that will have been down to an encouragement to do so by his manager, given AIK had Chinedu Obasi to hold the middle while the Swede drifted, but part of that was simply his own footballing instincts, moving with the play and taking up pockets of space as and when they appear.

It's in these situations that his impeccable close control and awareness kicks in, and it's why a comparison to Firmino is at least partially accurate. He drops in or splits wide, takes the ball and uses it well to link the midfield and attacking lines. There's still some work to be done on his decision-making, but that's obvious; he's still a relative rookie.

Isak uses sly strength and soft feet to hang on to the ball in tight situations, with opponents last season getting frustrated at their inability to nick the ball off him. He's more powerful than you'd first believe, and he's shown an ability to wall defenders off.

Most importantly, Isak has shown a consistent ability to finish chances of all types. In the Allsvenskan last season, he netted 10 from 19 starts—a healthy return—and that haul included back-post finishes, headers, acute-angled drives and rebounds. The elastic quality to his movements allows him to contort his body with ease ahead of firing home.

Isak is by no means perfect; no 17-year-old can be. His 1.5 unsuccessful touches per game need to be cut down (Aubameyang is on 0.6 per game), while his decision-making in the final third will get better as he plays more matches at a higher level.

This young forward is not an immediate panacea to BVB's consistency issues in the Bundesliga, either; if anything, he might contribute to them in the short term, given he's very much a work in progress.

But in four years' time, BVB could be fielding a team including fully grown versions of Dembele, Pulisic, Weigl, Marc Bartra, Mor and Isak. Tuchel will have been aware he was missing a striker to top this talented youth tree, and now he's landed the perfect man to step into the void if Aubameyang departs.

     

Facebook.com/SamTigheBR

All statistics via WhoScored.com

Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been instructed by the club to "give fewer interviews" regarding a possible transfer, per Westdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung (via Stefan Coerts for Goal).

"We have had a brief meeting with Aubameyang and have advised him to give fewer interviews about his plans for the summer and focus more on the race for Champions League qualification," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said.

The Gabon international recently cast doubt over his future at the club when he told Fussball Bild that "it is possible that in June a club comes to an agreement with Dortmund" (h/t Jack Davies for Goal).

This sentiment was strengthened earlier this week when Aubameyang told RMC that "if I want to go to the next level, I need to leave in the summer. Real Madrid is still a dream," per Metro.

Despite the striker's openness, Zorc has assured fans that the relationship between the club and player has not soured since their meeting.

"We have a great relationship with him," he said, per Coerts, "but we had to do something to show our focus is on the sporting aspect of the game."

Refocusing on the league is good advice. Dortmund are fourth in the Bundesliga, one point behind Eintracht Frankfurt and 14 points shy of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Manager Thomas Tuchel's side have drawn three of their last four league games, and Aubameyang has scored only once during this run—although he missed the 2-1 win against Werder Bremen while on duty with Gabon at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nevertheless, Aubameyang remains top goalscorer at the club with 16 goals in the Bundesliga, one of the best figures across Europe's top five leagues, as highlighted by Squawka on Twitter:

Most goals scored in Europe's top 5 leagues this season:

E. Cavani (21)
A. Lacazette (18)
L. Suarez (16)
P-E. Aubameyang (16) pic.twitter.com/zC9zZ7ThHi

— Squawka (@Squawka) January 30, 2017

The timing of Aubameyang's latest revealing interview on Tuesday, then, was clearly a mistake. Zorc's decision to warn their forward about his off-the-field conduct makes sense, and few would argue with Dortmund's desire to put an end to the speculation.

However, Aubameyang is unlikely to stick around for much longer should Dortmund's poor form continue. He is a long-term target of Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola already having spoken to the player's agent and father last summer, according to Neil Fissler of the Daily Express.

Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan are also interested in the 27-year-old, per Fissler, although it is unlikely that either of the Italian clubs could match the wages Aubameyang would be offered by Real or Man City.

Dortmund may already be thinking about how to replace their star striker, having completed the signing of 17-year-old Alexander Isak from Swedish side AIK Solna on Jan. 23 for £8.6 million.

The highly regarded Sweden international has been compared to compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the past, but Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe thinks he is more like Dortmund's wantaway forward Aubameyang, whom he may be succeeding in the long term:

According to Marca, Real Madrid are keen on "the new Zlatan" Alexander Isak but he reminds @stighefootball more of Aubameyang and Firmino 🇸🇪 https://t.co/qGFCdOZFOE

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 8, 2016

It is not out of the ordinary for Dortmund to be planning for the future in this manner, but for now, all attention must be focused on the final 16 games of the Bundesliga season.

If they aim to finish in the top three, they will need Aubameyang fully focused—which means putting a stop to the rumour-fuelling interviews.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said he wants to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. The Gabon striker, who is reportedly a transfer target for Real Madrid, also reaffirmed his desire to one day play for Los Blancos. 

Aubameyang was speaking during an interview with French outlet Radio RMC (h/t Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror) when he made his intentions to quit the Bundesliga clear: "If I want to go to the next level, I need to leave in summer. But we must see the proposals and if I'm going to play. Real Madrid is still a dream, but there has been too much noise."

This isn't the first time Aubameyang has talked up a possible switch to the Santiago Bernabeu. Back in July 2016, the forward told German broadcaster ZDF (h/t ESPN FC) Real would be his first choice should he leave Dortmund: "This year, no. But the only club I would leave Dortmund for are Real Madrid. If they don't come calling, I don't leave."

His mother, Margarita Crespo, even told Spanish radio station Onda Cero (h/t ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld) Aubameyang had made a promise to his grandfather about joining Los Merengues: "It's true that he promised my father that he would play for Real Madrid one day. My father and mother loved football and were supporters of Real Madrid."

Dortmund have since softened their stance on selling Aubameyang. In fact, chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke recently told Kicker TV (h/t Anthony Chapman of The Sun) a bid of £68.5 million would likely be accepted.

Real have the financial resources to meet Watzke's price. They could also use a striker of Aubameyang's quality, even though the squad is brimming with talent in the final third.

In particular, wide forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are both world-class match-winners. However, things aren't as settled through the middle, where both Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema have struggled.

The latter has even been linked with an exit this summer. Spanish website Diario Gol (h/t the Daily Telegraph) recently reported Real president Florentino Perez has "grown tired of" the inconsistent Benzema.

Yet Benzema took to social media to state he won't leave the Spanish capital anytime soon, per Dave Fraser of The Sun.

Morata has also been linked with a move away, with Premier League duo Arsenal and Chelsea both mooted as suitors, according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial (h/t Colin Harvey of the Daily Star).

Aubameyang would be an upgrade on both Benzema and Morata thanks to his dynamic pace and superior quality as a finisher. Those attributes have led to 16 goals in Germany's top flight this season, per WhoScored.com.

Aubameyang would increase the speed and fluidity of movement along Real's front three. He would dovetail superbly with Ronaldo and Bale to give Los Merengues a forward line capable of exceeding the Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi group for Barcelona.

Expect Los Blancos to respond favourably to Aubameyang's come-and-get-me plea.

Borussia Dortmund's capture of teenage striker Alexander Isak did not involve manager Thomas Tuchel, according to Sport Bild (h/t Mario de la Riva for AS). 

The German admitted he "found out very late" about the transfer, per Alex Richards for the Mirror.

The Swedish 17-year-old, signed for £8.6 million from AIK, is one of Europe's hottest talents, and Dortmund fended off interest from the likes of Real Madrid to secure his signature, as per Stephan Uersfeld for ESPN FC.

But it has emerged the German outfit failed to include Tuchel in the decision-making process, seemingly not consulting the manager before pursuing Isak. 

De la Riva said this has "caused some issues within the corridors of Borussia Dortmund," and that Tuchel does not have a close relationship with either BVB sporting director Michael Zorc or chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

Tuchel confirmed on Wednesday that he was informed of the deal before it was completed but had little knowledge of Isak or Dortmund's interest until recently.

"I didn't know the player before, but it's also not my job to know every 17-year-old," Tuchel said, per Richards. 

"I found out very late that we signed him. I was told about the transfer last week and when he was introduced to me, the signing made 100 per cent sense for BVB."

Richards reported the way in which the Isak deal was completed puts the coach's long-term future in doubt. However, Tuchel has said that it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"There are transfers to which I am completely involved and transfers like Isak, where the scouting and Michael Zorc do the big work—as was the case with Ousmane Dembele and Emre Mor," he said, per Richards.

It is difficult to see why Tuchel would have an issue with acquiring such a talented youngster, particularly given their poor performances in the league this season.

Dortmund are fourth in the Bundesliga, 12 points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They could do with an injection of youthful energy, and in Isak, they have again shown the world that young players want to play in black and yellow—as the Daily Mail's Huw Bonello pointed out on Twitter: 

The future is bright at Dortmund...
Ousmane Dembele
Emre Mor
Julian Weigl
Christian Pulisic
Alexander Isak
All 21 and under

— Huw Bonello (@Huw_Bonello) January 23, 2017

Rumours surrounding Tuchel's role are likely to persist unless results improve, and being kept in the dark over key signings is not a good omen. 

Borussia Dortmund have signed 17-year-old wonderkid Alexander Isak from AIK.

In the video above, we run the rule over the youngster who has been labelled "the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

Christian Pulisic has signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund that will keep him at Signal Iduna Park until 2020, the Bundesliga club confirmed on Monday.

The 18-year-old winger is becoming an increasingly important presence in Thomas Tuchel's squad, and BVB relayed confirmation of his renewed commitment to the club:

Christian Pulisic verlängert bis zum 30. Juni 2020⚠️ // Christian Pulisic has extended his contract until 30 June 2020. 💛 #22until2020 #bvb pic.twitter.com/YuyHYb7ptE

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 23, 2017

Per Bild (via The Independent's Mark Critchley), American Pulisic has long been linked with Liverpool, but the Reds' chances of signing him have now been effectively ended for the time being.

Per Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, Pulisic made the right call in opting to remain at Dortmund to continue his development:

Figured this would happen eventually. Dortmund is the best place for Pulisic to continue developing. https://t.co/p5YwKy4Xhu

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) January 23, 2017

Pulisic first broke into the BVB first team in the 2015-16 campaign. He made nine Bundesliga appearances—five of them from the bench—and netted two goals, per WhoScored.com.

In the 2016-17 term, he's already made 13 league appearances, nine of them starts, scoring twice and providing four assists. He also played a part in each of Dortmund's UEFA Champions League group games in the first half of the season.

It is clear he is making progress and being rewarded as a result.

Given that he is still only a teenager, it would have been a risky move for him to go elsewhere to continue his fledgling career.

Now that Pulisic has penned a new deal with Dortmund, he can focus purely on continuing to contribute on the pitch.

Borussia Dortmund announced the signing of Swedish striker Alexander Isak from AIK on Monday, with the 17-year-old opting for a move to the Westfalenstadion over a switch to Real Madrid.

The German club's Twitter feed relayed the news of Isak's move:

Hjärtligt välkommen, Alexander Isak! ✌️#welcomeisak #bvb Alle Infos: https://t.co/ZadYC8FTSX pic.twitter.com/GObv1G803Z

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 23, 2017

BREAKING: Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of 17-year-old Sweden international Alexander Isak from AIK pic.twitter.com/qXP0FGJlsU

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 23, 2017

According to the Bundesliga's official website, Isak has signed a "long-term contract," while BVB sporting director Michael Zorc hailed the youngster's potential: "Alexander Isak is a high-calibre talent who was wanted by numerous top European clubs. We are very glad that he has decided to sign for Borussia Dortmund. BVB is just as convinced as the player that this transfer is a great one."

Per the Guardian's Marcus Christenson, as recently as last week, he looked destined for the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes Isak has made the right choice in opting for Dortmund:

Swedish sensation Alexander Isak is set to join Dortmund for €10m after rejecting Real Madrid—good decision says @stighefootball pic.twitter.com/3bfdtBLgtg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 22, 2017

Per WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer, he joins a brilliant attacking unit at the German club:

Aubameyang, Dembele, Pulisic, Mor, Reus and now Isak. That's one hell of an attack for Dortmund.

— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) January 23, 2017

Isak had been linked with a number of other top European clubs for some time following a breakout season in the Allsvenskan in 2016, per Swedish newspaper Expressen (via the Liverpool Echo's Joe Rimmer).

AIK finished second to Malmo in the standings, with Isak netting 10 goals in 1,607 minutes of action, per WhoScored.com—better than a goal every other game.

According to Rimmer, the Sweden under-21 international has been likened to compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

For Tighe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the better comparison:

The "next Zlatan" is a terrible comparison for Isak. He's far more like Aubameyang. Now he can learn from him directly. Perfect. https://t.co/RBSHCWDvwx

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) January 22, 2017

Isak is powerful, comfortable on the ball, strong in the air and excellent at linking up with other attackers.

Should he make good on his immense potential and become anything like as good a player as Ibrahimovic or Aubameyang, then Dortmund will have a fantastic asset on their hands.

In BVB head coach Thomas Tuchel, Isak will have an excellent mentor to help him continue his progression.

Expectations will need to be managed, as Isak is still young, but Dortmund have done well to snap up a young player who was on the radar of many other top clubs.

For teams falling short of their targets, the month of January can seem like an oasis of hope. The chance to freshen the squad with new blood during the transfer window, and to inject new impetus into the season, is welcome. Yet for one current underachiever, an influx of players is probably the last thing they need.  

With 10 days of the winter break still to go—though still a game short of the season's halfway point—Borussia Dortmund sit in a disappointing sixth place in the Bundesliga table.

The league campaign is by no means a write-off just yet. Thomas Tuchel's side are only three points short of Hertha Berlin in third—a position synonymous with the final automatic qualification spot for the Champions League. They are just two points behind Eintracht Frankfurt, who sit fourth.

Yet the temptation is to look higher, with leaders Bayern Munich 12 points clear of Die Schwarzgelben, despite a first four months of the season that has featured some very un-Bayern like shades of doubt, sometimes quite ordinary football and a muddled identity on the part of the champions. The problem for Dortmund is that they have suffered more extreme versions of symptoms one and three.

So while some of his counterparts will be spending a large part of the month glued to one telephone while simultaneously charging the spare one, Tuchel will be grateful for a bit of peace and quiet.

That's not to say that any moves are totally off the table, with fringe players like Nuri Sahin and Adrian Ramos looking at possible exits. Any signings in, like the mooted arrival of Arsenal youngster Gedion Zelalem, as per the Mirror's John Cross, would be a case of taking a good opportunity rather than seeking out extra bodies.

Yet Tuchel's welcoming of the winter break will have been for an entirely different reason. Finally, after a dizzying summer window and hectic first half of the season, he is getting a chance to do what he likes best—spending time working with his players.

It has felt like Dortmund were being weighed down by the intensity of their schedule before Christmas. Strictly speaking, they have played less matches than at this point last year—two qualifying rounds needed to be negotiated just to arrive in the group stage of last season's Europa League—but the difference in energy required for Europe's premier club competition and its little brother has rarely been so clearly underlined as it has by Tuchel's team in recent months.

In autumn 2015, they breezed through the Europa League group stage. In fact, they cruised all the way to the quarter-finals before that extraordinary tie with Liverpool, but that's a different story.

The return to the Champions League has undoubtedly drained Dortmund, physically and mentally. In the games directly following group-stage matches, they have lost at Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, drawn at Cologne thanks to a late Marco Reus equaliser and escaped an embarrassing loss at Ingolstadt with an even later Christian Pulisic goal. Their two post-Champions League wins were against lowly Darmstadt and Hamburg.

The level of that drop-off has been frustrating for Tuchel. He has bubbled with irritation in front of the media on a number of occasions this season, and rarely more so than after November's reverse at Frankfurt's Commerzbank-Arena.

"It was a performance, from the first to the last minute, that merited no points, starting from this week's training," he said after the match.

Going into the squad's lack of focus before the game had even started was a pretty damning indictment of his players as a group—there were eight changes to the XI that had beaten Legia Warsaw for the Eintracht match, so they could hardly blame physical fatigue.

Tuchel bristled with a barely concealed rage as he delivered the words, with his team's sloppiness characterised by their conceding the opener to Eintracht's Szabolcs Huszti less than a minute into the second half.

So quickly, in fact, that Tuchel missed it, as he was still making his way from the dressing room to the touchline.

"The manner in which we came out of the changing room," he added, "I would have been surprised if we hadn't conceded a goal."

The extenuating circumstances for these problems, of course, is that high turnover of personnel. Seven new signings have made Bundesliga debuts for Dortmund this season (not including the returning Mario Gotze), and even if the squad is stuffed with talent, experienced campaigners as well as good players went in the shape of Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.       

That Andre Schurrle and Sebastian Rode, both 26, are the oldest of those tells us something, too. Players with an abundance of quality still need guidance, and it has often felt that Tuchel has been struggling to find the time to really give it to them.

The play has been intermittently dazzling—notably from youngsters like Ousmane Dembele, Raphael Guerreiro and the rapidly emerging Pulisic—but this is a team that is still in formation.

So the training camp in southern Spain is exactly what this squad, and their coach, needed. Gotze hinted this week that the players are really feeling a renewed connection with their leader, calling Tuchel "a very special coach," as per ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld, and praising his attention to detail. Sometimes it's been lost in the noise so far this season.

The real tests will come quickly enough, with a trip to face improving Werder Bremen first up when the Bundesliga campaign resumes for Dortmund a week on Saturday.

At the start of February, a home game against RB Leipzig (who, at the very least, are a direct competitor for a Champions League spot) is followed four days later by a DfB Pokal last-16 match against Hertha. The Champions League tie against Benfica is a tougher draw than many think.

By that time, in mid-February, they should at least have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in their ranks post-Africa Cup of Nations, in which he will lead the line for host nation Gabon. The 27-year-old, who was this week voted as the Bundesliga's best player of the season up to the winter break in a survey conducted by Kicker (as reported by the Bundesliga's official website), will have a key role in the tournament and will be missed by his club, of course.

In the meantime, Dortmund have the talent to cover for him and, it appears, a renewed focus. If this training camp has gone to plan, we could see a very different Dortmund, at home and continentally, in the second part of the campaign.

Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has rubbished rumours linking striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a €150 million (£127.9 million) bid from Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.

Watzke refused to discuss the reported offer, telling Bild he had no interest in such speculation (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC): "I am not interested in hypothetical things."

#BVB's response to rumours linking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a €150M move to Shanghai SIPG pic.twitter.com/pybGeeKyAG

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 5, 2017

The rumours stemmed from a La Gazzetta dello Sport report (h/t ESPN FC) that indicated Shanghai SIPG had made BVB the huge offer for the 27-year-old, while pledging to pay him €41 million (£35 million) per season in wages.

Per Uersfeld, Dortmund media director Sascha Fligge previously said in a statement that there has been no offer from Shanghai, while Bild reported different figures for the bid—€50 million (£42.6 million) plus €30 million (£25.6 million) in add-ons.

Either way, it seems Watzke has little time for the idea of selling Aubameyang, and understandably so.

The Gabon international is one of Dortmund's most vital players. He has netted 16 Bundesliga goals in 15 appearances so far in 2016-17, having scored 25 in 31 last season, per WhoScored.com.

China has been increasingly attempting to attract big-name stars to their league with offers of huge wages, and in some circumstances, Super League clubs have succeeded.

Oscar, Carlos Tevez and Axel Witsel have all moved to the Chinese Super League recently, but unlike Aubameyang, none of them were regular starters at a major European side.

While Dortmund are struggling at the moment—they lie sixth in the Bundesliga—they remain one of Germany's biggest and most decorated clubs.

Per France Football, Aubameyang recently ranked 11th in the voting for the 2016 Ballon d'Or:

Final ranking of Ballon d'Or France Football 2016 :

11th

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG #ballondor pic.twitter.com/dS7Rbrozmr

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) December 12, 2016

He is one of the most highly rated strikers in the world and has been regularly linked with UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid, per Duncan Wright in The Sun.

It would be major coup for the Chinese Super League to snap up a player of Aubameyang's quality, but given his current standing and prospects in the European game, it seems an unlikely switch.