PROFILE | Daniel Svensson – An in-depth look at Borussia Dortmund’s new Swedish star | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund’s winter transfer window has been an eventful one, to say the least. From the loan signing of Carney Chukwuemeka and the permanent deal for Diant Ramaj, to the failed transfer for Rayan Cherki, the club had to wade through a mire of complications to close out the final day of the window, which will likely leave many genuinely bemused at the chain of events that unfolded.

There was a very strong silver lining for the club and its fans however, with the very uncomplicated and extremely welcome signing of much needed defensive reinforcement; a lack of which had been a glaring hole in Dortmund’s squad planning BVB from the summer. Dortmund secured the signing of talented left-back Daniel Svensson on loan with the option to make the deal permanent in the summer.

Dortmund’s deal to sign Svensson from FC Nordsjælland is an ode to the types of deals we saw Die Schwarzgelben complete more often during the Jürgen Klopp era, namely, deals for talented players at a cut price from a league most would likely be less familiar with. Turning the club’s attention to markets that were generally a bit more obscure or creative was what made the club’s transfer business so enthralling, and to see BVB return to its roots so to speak is refreshing.

In Svensson, Dortmund has signed a talented player who promises to be quite the coup, especially for the projected €6m-7m fee. Liverpool reportedly also explored the idea of signing Svensson, but Dortmund was clearly able to offer a better perspective in terms of first-team minutes, especially due to that aforementioned lack of depth in the full-back position.

Svensson started his career at IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden prior to his move to Nordsjaelland. He made his senior debut in 2020 and went on to become an integral part of their squad.

Taking a look at the player himself, Svensson’s profile fits quite nicely in terms of the type of reinforcement Dortmund could benefit from in his position. In the 2023/24 season, he chipped in with four goals and 12 assists for the Danish Superliga side. He’s had a more quiet 2024/25 season, having only provided two assists in 19 appearances, but this should not take away from what he is capable of. He shares the ability to invert during games with a certain Ian Maatsen, who was a success at Dortmund under Edin Terzić. While he is predominantly a full-back, he is very much able to play in central-midfield as well, as he showed on more than one occasion during his time in Denmark.

Svensson’s ability to play in numerous positions will also be a boon for Dortmund, as having a versatile player for rotation is always a helpful asset for a team like Dortmund which often struggles with injuries across the board. In his own words, Svensson considers himself a very attack-minded player who likes to go forward and pose a threat for his team:

“I’m a left back, I like to have the ball a lot, and I like to play attacking football…going forward, trying to score goals” -Daniel Svensson

Going forward, Svensson is a proficient dribbler of the ball with the player having a 58.8% dribble success rate this season, per FotMob. Compared to Dortmund’s current top-performing full-back (not taking into account the difficulty of the league), he leads Ramy Bensebaini in terms of chances created (1.76 in comparison to Bensebaini’s 1.01), cross accuracy (28.6% to Bensebaini’s 16.7%) and long ball accuracy (49% to Bensebaini’s 44.2%) per 90.

These numbers are in no way meant to indicate that Bensebaini has had a bad season; his one goal and five assists speak otherwise. It is more so to highlight the potential Dortmund may have in a player like Svensson should he maintain his output with this step-up to Bundesliga level competition. The player’s clear ability to go forward and create will be invaluable to a Dortmund side that had both failed to create this season and done a poor job of finishing chances one may have expected them to do better with.

In terms of defensive numbers, Svensson has won 61% of his duels this season, and 77.3% of his tackles overall. He also averages 1.41 interceptions per 90, which if we once again use Bensebaini as a positive benchmark for this season, puts him above the Algerian international, who has by comparison won 46% of his tackles, and averages 1.25 interceptions per 90.

Taking this information into account, Dortmund seems to have acquired the services of a very balanced player that understands the importance of both aspects of his role in modern football; he looks to go forward whilst attending to his defensive duties without leaving his teammates out to dry when the opposition tries to pose a threat. He also seems to be a player brimming with energy and commitment when he features on the pitch, something that many Dortmund fans have come to love about fellow full-back Julian Ryerson. Once again, much depends on whether or not Svensson is ready to make the step up to Bundesliga play, which considering his performances and age (22-years-old), should be the case.

If all goes to plan on the pitch for Svensson and Dortmund, both the financial package as well as the Sweden international’s versatility could also leave the door open for a potential return for Dortmund academy product Tom Rothe in the future, as the position has not become exceedingly crowded in a way that would block this sort of move from coming to fruition. It’s also important to keep in mind that Bensebaini isn’t getting any younger, and with the Algerian international turning 30 this year, the club may be thinking of contingency plans as is should his form not continue into next season.

In Svensson, Dortmund has likely sealed a long-term talent for the defence and midfield that is hopefully able to help the club turn the tide in this second half of the season and help them achieve their goal of Champions League football for the 2025/26 campaign. His talent and versatility could see him become an integral part of this Dortmund squad for many seasons to come.

GGFN | Brian Szlenk