Dortmund’s new signings out to make their cases for Qatar

Even though the trio has yet to link up in black and yellow, they already have a strong bond, as revealed by striker Karim Adeyemi. 

"I'm sure it's easy to see that I get along well with 'Schlotti,' back in the under-21s we clicked very quickly. It just so happens that all three of us (including Niklas Süle) who have moved to Dortmund already have a good relationship," Adeyemi told reporters at a press conference ahead of Germany's first Nations League fixture in June. 

This will have been music to the ears of coach Hansi Flick as he works to make Germany into a bonafide contender in time for the World Cup at the end of the year. 

"We want a team that shows on the pitch that they have fun playing football together and are exciting," Flick told UEFA.com in a recent interview.  

"We have a positive mindset, and the team implements this brilliantly. We want to be active, play with dynamism, intensity and full concentration," he added. 

Tasked with forming the heart of a new-look Dortmund defense, summer signings Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle may get a golden opportunity to build a strong partnership at club level, something that could help them make their case for inclusion in the World Cup squad.  

Assuming they do find themselves playing together on a weekly basis, you have to like the chances of at least one of them winning a starting role in Qatar. In their first few months at club level, they could develop exactly the type of chemistry and and implement the front-foot defending Hansi Flick is after to showcase themselves as a package deal. Whether it will be together, or with one of them partnering the recent Real Madrid signing Antonio Rüdiger, will largely come down to how each of the three settles into their new surroundings. 

So could their moves to Dortmund, where they are bound to get to know each other even better, boost the chances of Schlotterbeck, Adeyemi and Süle making it to the World Cup? 

"It's all about their performances now, if they are better than their competitors for the position then they all have a really great chance to claim a starting spot in this team as well," Flick said in response to a DW question a day before Germany take on Italy in Bologna. 

Big shoes to fill  

However, for Dortmund's new attacker Adeyemi, breaking into the German side looks to be a much tougher task. While the versatile forward can play across the frontline, it will be no easy feat getting his nose in front of the likes of Kai Havertz, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, despite his blistering pace and precocious talent. 

Question marks do remain surrounding the main candidate to lead the line for Hansi Flick; Timo Werner has an excellent scoring record for Germany, averaging almost a goal every second game. But he has fallen far short of replicating that sort of form at the club level and has at times been shifted out wide on both teams. 

U21-Euros winners in senior squad contention  

Flick also does not seem averse to freshening things up. He boosted the hopes of the youngsters in his squad with his high praise of the most recent under-21s graduates, highlighting the energy they add to the squad. 

"Whether it is Nico Schlotterbeck or Jamal Musiala or Karim Adeyemi, they bring a refreshing vibe to the team and a new spirit. There is a natural feel about the way they play football, which I like very much," he said. 

To stand any chance of ousting Werner, the prime candidate for the number 9 position, Adeyemi will have to demonstrate that he is capable of consistently performing to Flick's liking at the highest level. The pressure that goes with a €30-million ($32 million) move from Red Bull Salzburg and trying to replace Erling Haaland at BVB won't make things any easier. 

So the 20-year-old understandably tried to tone down expectations on his return to the Germany squad, having missed out on a call-up due to injury in late March. 

"It's an honor to be called up to the national team and play with this caliber of players," he said. "I want to integrate into the team, feel good in the squad and show the coach what I can do and make myself an option." 

The World Cup in Qatar is bound to have played a decisive role in the decisions of Schlotterbeck, Adeyemi, and Süle to move to Borussia Dortmund. Now they need to take every opportunity to make that decision pay off.   

Edited by Chuck Penfold