Borussia Dortmund continue to hoover up football's rising superstars with the signing of Jadon Sancho... and have their 'Super Eye' scout and a shrewd outlook on transfer dealings to thank

The line of brilliant young players who have risen to stardom at Borussia Dortmund is a famously long one. England Under-17 international Jadon Sancho will be hoping that he is the next in line.

Amid the madness of deadline day and the ever more enormous transfer fees, Sancho's move to Borussia Dortmund caught some people off guard when it was announced on Thursday.

But this is a deal which Dortmund have been working on for weeks. That is how they do things. While everybody else is flapping about hundreds of millions and bathing in hyperbole, Dortmund keep on quietly hoovering up some global football's biggest talents. On the cheap. 

Sancho cost Dortmund £8million but City will not be entitled to a sell-on, reports say

Borussia Dortmund continue to focus transfers on young talent as they sign Jadon Sancho

The 17-year-old was a rising star in Manchester City's ranks but made the switch to Germany

The 17-year-old was a rising star in Manchester City's ranks but made the switch to Germany

Just £6.5m was all they reportedly paid for one of English football's most promising young players, and that was only to avoid having to wait for the FA to sanction the transfer.


'We are very happy that Jadon Sancho, one of the biggest talents in European football, wants to play for Borussia Dortmund,' said their sporting director Michael Zorc.

The German press were equally excited, chattering about how Dortmund had beaten the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and even Bayern Munich to the young forward's signature. 'The best player of the Under-17 European Championship has decided to join Borussia Dortmund,' declared Bild, calling Sancho a 'super jewel'.

In an age of astronomical transfer fees, German football likes to present itself as the sober, steady alternative to cash-drunk extravagance. 

German outlet Bild named him 'the best player of the Under-17 European Championship'

German outlet Bild named him 'the best player of the Under-17 European Championship'

Figures across the German game, from the fourth division up to the president of Bayern Munich, have lined up this summer to condemn the excesses of the transfer market. 

Some clubs are immensely proud of their ability to churn out young talent. At Dortmund, the skill lies in luring the best in the country and beyond to play in the Signal-Iduna-Park.

The likes of Maximilian Philipp, Sven Bender, Julian Weigl, Mats Hummels were all plucked from other Bundesliga clubs, while their scouting operations abroad have discovered the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa, Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele. 

He joins a list, including Maximilian Philipp, of promising stars to be plucked by Dortmund

He joins a list, including Maximilian Philipp, of promising stars to be plucked by Dortmund

Sancho has been handed the Dortmund No 7 shirt as worn by Ousmane Dembele

As well as Ousmane Dembele, whose vacated No 7 shirt will be filled by the incoming Sancho 

Head scout Sven Mislintat, nicknamed 'Super Eye', is the brains behind the operation

Head scout Sven Mislintat, nicknamed 'Super Eye', is the brains behind the operation

The latter, whose No 7 shirt Sancho will inherit, is perhaps the most remarkable success story of all for Dortmund. Having beaten bigger clubs to the punch with the promise of first-team football last season, Dortmund then went on to sell Dembele a year later for £96m.

Little wonder, then, that one of the club's most highly prized assets is head scout Sven Mislintat. The 44-year-old, nicknamed 'The Super-Eye' by his colleagues, is the brains behind Dortmund's scouting operation. Without him, Dortmund's success in recent years would be inconceivable. 

When Bayern Munich attempted to poach Mislintat this summer, they were swiftly rebuffed by the Dortmund hierarchy. The scout's position, it was made clear, was non-negotiable. A significant factor in Thomas Tuchel's fall from grace at Dortmund was his falling out with Mislintat. The ultimate proof of his value, however, is Dortmund's global reputation as a place where young talents can thrive.

Like Dembele a year before him, Sancho realised that he would be better off in Germany than he would be warming the bench at Manchester City. Like Dembele, he has a good chance of getting first-team football.

Sancho may have secured his move, but he'll have to be patient and await his chance 

Sancho realised he would be better off in Germany than warming the bench at City

Especially as sporting director Michael Zorc has assured him first-team opportunities

Especially as sporting director Michael Zorc has assured him first-team opportunities

Even with the likes of Andre Schurrle, Marco Reus, Philipp and Sergey Yarmolenko to compete with, Sancho will be given space to develop at Dortmund.

Zorc has already promised that the 17-year-old will go straight into the first-team squad. Whether he leaves as quickly, and for as much money as Dembele, remains to be seen. 

But the fact remains: this season, a 17-year-old English forward will be pulling on the No 7 shirt at Borussia Dortmund. Even for the most transfer-window-weary, that is an exciting prospect.