Borussia Dortmund hope to retain their status as one of the key Bundesliga contenders despite the loss of three key players this summer, coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday.
Over the past few weeks, last season's Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund had to let go of club captain Mats Hummels, deep-lying playmaker Ilkay Gundogan and winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who were sold to Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Manchester United respectively for a combined transfer fee total of over €100 million.
BVB have already reinvested parts of the money into six summer signings including European champion Raphael Guerreiro, Barcelona defender Marc Bartra, Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rode, and highly rated Rennes youngster Ousmane Dembele. They are also reportedly close to signing 2014 World Cup winner Andre Schurrle from domestic rivals Wolfsburg.
The mass exodus of key players came as a surprise after Dortmund played their second-best season ever in Bundesliga, amassing 78 points and scoring 82 goals under new coach Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Jurgen Klopp following a disappointing 2014-15 campaign.
Speaking to reporters at his first news conference of preseason, Tuchel addressed his frustration over the loss of the key players, but vowed to look ahead.
"A lot of things happened. Some say it's an upheaval, and maybe it even feels like a new beginning. We lost three extremely important players in Mats, Illy and Micki. They are more than just transfers," Tuchel said, adding that the structure of the team will change after losing a trio which played at a "worldwide top level."
Tuchel explained that while both the coaching staff and the club pushed limits to make them stay all of them left because of "who they are."
He said: "Those players changed clubs because they always strive for the best. Because of who they are they accept the challenges top clubs offer."
He added that even though Dortmund tried their very best to convince the trio "we had to realise that there are clubs who are above us both economically and in prestige.
"If you reach those limits there are two options: You can either be in denial and run against the wall until you fall and wake up with headaches and that would have most likely been the case next year if had forced to stay. The bad end would have come next year, losing all of them on a free."
Instead Dortmund sold their assets and "took great risks" by signing young players mostly from outside the Bundesliga. But Tuchel said their "risk will be rewarded," adding that BVB made the decision "to sign players who will give their heart and soul" for the club.
"We should not hang on to what we had but we have to let go and create something new," Tuchel said. "We will not be able to replace them like-for-like."
Yet despite the many changes at the club, Tuchel said Dortmund remain ambitious, adding: "We want to challenge the big teams in the Champions League, attack the top of the Bundesliga, and win the DFB-Pokal."