Examining How Raphael Guerreiro Might Fit Best in Borussia Dortmund’s Plans

When Borussia Dortmund announced the capture of Raphael Guerreiro from Ligue 1 outfit FC Lorient in June, most fans will have quickly pigeonholed him as competition for long-serving left-back Marcel Schmelzer.

The €12 million signing was anything but a household name, and what little most people knew about him probably stemmed from watching Portugal’s opening match at Euro 2016 two days before the transfer was confirmed by the club’s official website—there aren’t too many Lorient experts in Germany, after all.

The French-born Guerreiro played at left-back in the disappointing 1-1 draw with Iceland after seeing off the competition of the more experienced Eliseu in the buildup to the tournament, a position he would only relinquish twice because of slight knocks during the month in France.

The Black and Yellow faithful naturally watched Portugal’s games with greater interest and will have grown more and more excited with their club’s new signing. Guerreiro was arguably the best full-back of the competition and thoroughly deserved his inclusion in the official UEFA team of the Euros.

Bleacher Report’s Mark Jones opined after Portugal’s triumph over host nation France: “Throughout the tournament it became apparent that Dortmund had got themselves a bargain with the signing of 22-year-old left-back Guerreiro.”

Indeed, one can only imagine what the Ruhr side would have had to pay for their man after the Euros—BVB chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke even said in an interview with local paper WAZ that he would be unaffordable at this stage.

In an already-inflated market, players with the pedigree of European champions seem to be even more expensive, as evidenced by the €40 million Inter Milan had to dish out for Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Mario, per Transfermarkt.

There can be little doubt that getting Guerreiro for a comparatively modest fee was a shrewd deal, perhaps even the best of all eight signings Dortmund have completed over a busy summer transfer window.

Now, of course, the question is how he’s going to fit in at the club. After a prolonged vacation following the Euro 2016 triumph, the 22-year-old has so far come off the bench for two cameos in the DFB-Pokal against Regionalliga side Eintracht Trier and on Matchday 1 of the Bundesliga season against Mainz 05.

Interestingly, he didn’t play left-back in either appearance, continuing a trend from pre-season. Guerreiro routinely slotted into the team in midfield roles, be it in the centre or on the left wing.

Below, Bleacher Report takes a look at his positional fits in head coach Thomas Tuchel’s system.

The Left-Back

Even though he hasn’t played as a traditional left-back for the Black and Yellows so far, it remains entirely possible that he’s going to settle down in what seems to be his most natural position.

Of course, Dortmund already have a strong starter …

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