United States

USMNT starlet Gedion Zelalem's potential move to Dortmund could be exactly what he needs

Published Mar. 9, 2017 4:35 p.m. ET

Aaron West

Gedion Zelalem is reportedly close to a move to Borussia Dortmund from Arsenal, and a switch to the Signal Iduna Park could just be the best thing for the 19-year-old midfielder's club and international career. He's one of the USMNT's brightest prospects, and has drawn comparisons to Cesc Fabregas since his move to Arsenal at the age of 16. Now, the playmaker could be on the move to another of Europe's biggest clubs.

Zelalem has found minutes hard to come by at Arsenal, and was loaned out to Rangers last season to find playing time, appearing in 28 matches. Back in the fold at Arsenal for his fourth season, he still hasn't made an appearance in the Premier League for the club, and he's been limited to youth team and reserve league matches this year. There simply isn't a place for him at the Emirates.

Arsenal have a number of options in the center of midfield, all more likely to see time than Zelalem. Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny were both purchased in the last year, joining Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin, all of whom have seen significantly more (read: any) time than the youngster. That's not to mention the fact that Arsenal youth product Jack Wilshere is out on loan at Bournemouth, and will likely return to provide further competition.

Arsenal are fantastic developers of talent, but Zelalem's way to the first team looks to be filled with roadblocks. He's not getting playing time at a crucial point in his development, and that requires action.

Zelalem reportedly has an offer on the table from Dortmund, and sources close to the player told ESPN that the young midfielder, whose German father is a Dortmund supporter, is strongly considering a return to the country of his birth. His contract expires in the summer, but Dortmund are thought to be willing to pay a cut-price to bring him to Germany in January.

While an American and part of the U.S. national team program, Zelalem lived in Germany before moving to Virginia as a teenager and played with Germany's U15, U16 and U17 youth teams. He even came up through the youth academies of BFC Germania and Hertha Berlin. He already knows the language, is familiar with the culture, and wouldn't have to deal with adjusting to a new way of life; things that can very much affect a young player's development.

Zelalem won't exactly walk into Dortmund's first team either, and the Germans are just as chock full of quality players in midfield as Arsenal. He'll have to compete with the likes of Julian Weigl, Sebastian Rode, Nuri Sahin, Gonzalo Castro, Sven Bender, and more. Still, Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel has not only shown an incredible willingness to give young talent chances, but his rotation policy sees many different players get the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of more playing time, as evidenced by Christian Pulisic's meteoric rise since his arrival at the club.

Zelalem does need playing time though, and if Dortmund are able to offer him that opportunity, he should seize it with both hands. He needs to play to grow, and for him to be in consideration with the national team he'll need to get games, wherever that is.

Arsenal have let promising young talent slip through their hands more than once lately, and Serge Gnabry and Joel Campbell are both examples of how difficult it can be to break through into Arsene Wenger's first team. Both players, with plenty of potential and ability, struggled with few opportunities to make their mark, loaned out over and over before finally moving onto new teams permanently. This type of situation isn’t new for Arsenal, and it doesn’t mean Zelalem is a bad player. He just needs a new home.

Even if Zelalem isn't able to force his way into regular minutes with the first team, Dortmund's proven to be one of Europe's very best soccer schools in recent years, and Germany's development methods are among the very best in the world as a whole. Die Schwarzgelben typically only move to sign young players of Zelalem's ilk if they believe they have the ability to make an impact, and considering their record with youth, it could be well worth the risk for Zelalem to trust Tuchel and his management to handle his growth with care.

A move back to his home country in a place where he's comfortable both soccer-wise and culture-wise and will get playing time could prove to be the best thing for Zelalem's career. Dortmund could prove to be the perfect option. It may not be the safest move, but considering the upside and culture at BVB, it might be the best.