Borussia Dortmund Manager Lucien Favre Plans Squad Upheaval With Move for Chile Star

Borussia Dortmund appear set for a huge shakeup under new manager Lucien Favre, who has identified Bologna's Erick Pulgar as his key transfer target.

The report comes from German outlet Sport Buzzer, who claim to have received information informing them of Favre's wishes. However, Pulgar is primarily a central midfielder, and the German side already have several players in that area of the pitch.

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Mario Gotze has recently been deployed in that position, whilst the likes of Sebastian Rode, Nuri Sahin and Shinji Kagawa are all options in the heart of the midfield. Sporting Director Michael Zorc is quoted by Sport Buzzer as admitting that a smaller squad would be desirable, meaning many members of the squad could be leaving the club in the near future.

Pulgar moved to Serie A side Bologna from his native Chile in 2015 and has gone on to represent the Italian side 76 times. Last season, he made 32 appearances for Bologna and managed to net three goals from defensive midfield.

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During his time in Chile, Pulgar was often deployed as a centre back, although he has not played in this position during his time in Italy. However, his versatility will undoubtedly be desirable for many managers.

Pulgar made his debut for Chile in 2015 in a friendly against the USA, and has gone on to earn a further eight caps for his country. However, he has never been a permanent fixture in the team, often remaining on the bench or omitted from the squad completely.

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Shockingly, Chile failed to qualify for the World Cup this summer. They were the winners of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, as well as runners up in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. 

However, despite their recent successes, the team found themselves unable to qualify from the South American qualification stage.