BVB sign Pongracic from Wolfsburg - Reaction to injury crisis

Borussia Dortmund sign Marin Pongracic from VfL Wolfsburg. The Croatian national team player joins the club on loan for one season—the Wolves confirmed the deal on deadline day. According to a report by Bild, BVB will have an option to make the transfer permanent for €12-13 million. Sport1 have the option at €10 million.

The transfer is a direct reaction to the club's injury crisis in defense. Mats Hummels, Dan-Axel Zagadou and new signing Soumaïla Coulibaly are all out. The latter will be out for months with an ACL injury. As a result, Axel Witsel had to play as a center-back to start the season. 

Pongracic is under contract until 2024 at Wolfsburg and joined the club for €10 million from RB Salzburg in January 2020. During his time at the club, he managed 23 appearances. Since head coach Mark van Bommel joined the club, he fell down the pecking order and was the fourth choice behind Maxence Lacroix, John Anthony Brooks as well as new signing Sebastiaan Bornauw. 

BVB head coach Marco Rose, in the meantime, knows the defender from their time together at Red Bull Salzburg. There the then 19-year-old had his professional debut and he played 49 games for Rose—more than for any other coach.