Felix Nmecha: Germany’s Next Ballack Already Showing Signs He Can Be Huge For Dortmund

There is no doubt that Borussia Dortmund is in a bit of a transition in terms of its squad development, though there is certainly a lot to look forward to.

While there are obvious holes in the defence which need filling, the squad has a lot of other promising players coming through in other areas who are beginning to make a real impact and put their stamp on the team.

Obviously, there are a number of established, quality players including striker Serhou Guirassy and attacker Julian Brandt, though Dortmund can boast a complementary medley of both homegrown (via their academy) and savvy young signings.

There is one that with each passing week, appears to be showing signs of considerable improvement and that he can go on to have a major impact on this Dortmund side.

Nmecha A Midfield Maestro In The Making

Felix Nmecha appears to be having a breakout season and, especially in the Champions League, is scoring for fun. Three goals in three games so far, including a brace last time out against FC Copenhagen in Denmark has shown a number of people around Europe exactly what he is capable of on his day.

A product of the Manchester City academy, he was actually handed his professional debut by Pep Guardiola back in the 2020/21 season, featuring in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, before Wolfsburg pounced that summer.

His impact was progressive, doing enough for Dortmund to pounce in July 2023 quickly having a positive effect, scoring the crucial goal against Newcastle United in the Champions League game on Tyneside.

At 25, he is at the right age to really push on and this could well be the season where he really shows what he can do; especially on the European stage – he certainly seems to be a ‘big game’ type of player, though he does need to start being consistent in the Bundesliga.

Being a high-energy, box-to-box central midfielder, first and foremost, he’s an athlete – standing at an imposing 6,3 and is hard to play against. Essentially, he has demonstrated all the traits of a “modern day”, all-round midfielder and if Nmecha continues to develop he could go on to be one of the best in the world.

Strong in the tackle, physical, fast, an aerial threat and blessed with creativity, he appears to offer everything that a top team would want. With a fierce shot, he also excels in tight spaces despite his size and finding creative solutions, often being able to thread a pass and carry the ball effectively, in addition to making interceptions and recovering possession, which means he can launch quick transitions. A notable benefit for this Dortmund side.

A Future Star And This Could Be His Season

Nmecha likely reminds many fans of Jude Bellingham in his Dortmund prime (and ironically, his brother Jobe could in time form a great relationship with him), though there will be many Germany supporters who will hope that he can be their next Michael Ballack. He certainly seems to display many traits of the former Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea star.

You could possibly make a case for him being similar to Sami Khedira in style also, though Nmecha appears to have more of an all-round game and there is no reason why he cannot reach the top. Keep an eye on him this season. If he continues to develop we could see a mega bid come in for him from one of Europe’s top clubs.