Dortmund’s Promising New Midfield Hope: Why Watjen’s Bochum Loan Is A Crucial Next Step

Whisper it quietly, but Dortmund could have a real talent on their hands ready to take their midfield by storm over the next few years.

Currently on loan at progressive Bundesliga 2 side, VfL Bochum, 19-year-old Kjell Watjen is gaining valuable first team experience.

As well as possibly becoming a key player for Dortmund, there is no reason why he cannot go all the way and break into the German national team and spearhead international tournament campaigns.

Does He Really Have That Much Potential?

In time, Watjen could become a real generational player if he lives up to his potential – his time spent in Dortmund’s youth team has certainly proved this.

His passing range is particularly impressive – especially for a player so young; he could become better than Germany star Toni Kroos in time. Meanwhile, his decision-making and ability to effortlessly link play in tight spaces demonstrates a maturity and intelligence beyond that of some seasoned professionals.

As well as this though, he has an athleticism and control that allows him to carry the ball forward with ease – he almost glides (think Zinedine Zidane).

It seems at the minute, he prefers the deep-lying playmaker role (similar to Kroos) – he’s not a traditional ball-winner, though, even at such a young age, he can read opposing patterns of play and anticipate where the ball will go.

Having already made four first team appearances (2023/24), he did enough to suggest that he can have an impact – indeed, he has already registered one assist. Mainly last season though, he appeared for Dortmund II in the third league, where he played 20 games, scoring five goals.

During the 2023/24 season, he was a highly productive member of the U19 team, scoring 10 goals in 22 games.

Development Being Closely Monitored

Club chiefs are watching Watjen’s progress carefully and it is not an accident that Bochum was chosen as the club that he is on loan at. It is understood that this is something Dortmund puts a lot of thought into when it comes to loaning out their young players.

There has to be a guarantee of a set number of games, while making sure each player fits into at least one element of the ‘Dortmund way’, based on their position. His time spent on loan at Bochum can be a defining point in his career and there is a belief that it can really benefit his future.

Watjen certainly has the class and potential to step into a major role in this Dortmund side in the future. While next season might be too early for a starting spot, he could become a rotation option.

Though, Dortmund have always had a model built on nurturing youth, so that there is always an option to step into a spot left vacant by a major sale, as per the club’s strategy.

One likeable asset of Watjen’s is his versatility and ability to play in numerous positions. While not a natural ball-winning player or a traditional holding midfielder (in a 4-3-3), he can play anywhere else in midfield – even from wide positions.

His next best role after deep-lying playmaker would be a box-to-box (number 8), while he could also do a job as a number 10 behind the striker. Remember his name.