By Ewah Chika.
With the exit of Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City for £21 million, Borussia Dortmund fans would be expected to be moody and saddened but this is not the case and one reason for that is the form of 20-year-old former 1980 Munich captain Julian Weigl who was a revelation last two seasons in the German League as his team suffered relegation .
Weigl was signed for just €2.5 million by Dortmund last summer and was initially expected to struggle and used sparingly but all that changed after he gave a good account of himself during pre-season. If Thomas Tuchel was having any doubt about the lad's quality, all that changed after the final whistle of the season opener against Borusia Monchengladbach who were beaten 4-0 by Dortmund on that day. In that game, the youngster created two chances, hit a shot which went narrowly wide and completed 94% of his passes. From there on it was a one way traffic as Weigl was the first choice in the centre of the park to partner Gundogan when fit while seasoned defensive midfielder Sven Bender was shifted to the centre- back position to partner Matt Hummels.
Weigl holds the record of the youngest captain of 1860 Munich (18 years) before the Bavarian club was relegated in the summer of 2015. At the end of his debut campaign in Dortmund, Weigl had a 91.9 % passing accuracy which was only bettered by Bayern Munich stars Rafinha, David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich. What sets the player apart from most players in his position is his decisive dribbles , ability to provide key passes and ability to shot from a distance. The Bavaria native also had to curb his indiscipline after insulting the club (1860 Munich) for suffering a 3-0 defeat against Red Bull Leipzig and this resulted in him losing his vice-captaincy before making amends with his performance and then appointed the captain later on.
"You can see everyday that things are moving forward, that he enjoys it so much. He has made a good impression here and is a total clear, cordial and open young man," was the statement of Thomas Tuchel to UEFA when asked his thought about the midfielder.
Although he is not yet a finished product , Weigl's stock and value has tremendously increased from €2.5 million to an excess of €35 million as a result of his impressive debut season. In total the youngster made 27 league appearances , and over 40 in all completions with most of them starts which is rare for a player of his age.
It is now clear why Dortmund did not hesitate in accepting £21 million from Manchester City for Ilkay Gundogan who has not played more than 20 league games in two seasons at the club as a result of niggling injuries. Next season, it is expected that Sebastian Rode (signed from Bayern Munich this summer) or Sven Bender will partner the Bavaria central midfielder as Dortmund go for glory.
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