Opinion: Julian Brandt’s Borussia Dortmund stay has been a mixed bag

With his summer departure now confirmed, it can be argued that Julian Brandt never truly fulfilled the immense potential that accompanied his arrival at Borussia Dortmund.

Following a seven-year stay at Signal Iduna Park, Julian Brandt will bid farewell to Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.

The announcement came to light on Saturday after the Black and Yellows beat 1. FC Köln with Lars Ricken telling Sky Sports “We held discussions and agreed that the expiring contract will not be renewed.”

Moments of brilliance vs. lack of consistency

Brandt’s stay at BVB can be debated at length. He has had incredible highs in which he scored important goals and made a difference in big games. However, there were plenty of instances in which he failed to live up to expectations. 

When Brandt was first brought in from Bayer Leverkusen he arrived as an exciting young talent who could transform Borussia Dortmund. But his adaptation to the role he was assigned took a while.

The coach who signed him, Lucien Favre, chose to field Brandt in a double pivot next to Emre Can. In that role, Brandt had a brilliant start to 2020 and performed in big games like the game against RB Leipzig in which he scored a brilliant goal, and put on an impressive performance against PSG in the Champions League. 

Brandt’s ability, however, was not always on full display. He had instances in which his decision-making and overall commitment on the pitch were not on par with what is required.

Brandt has a tendency to disappear in some games and failed to put on consistent displays over long stretches of games. 

The verdict on a seven-year journey

Despite this, Brandt still remained one of the first names in Borussia Dortmund’s starting lineup. He managed to influence games and score important goals when needed. 

It is easily identifiable that Brandt is an immensely talented footballer that can make a difference when he is on form. However, those peak performances occurred less frequently than was necessary.

On the bright side, Brandt is leaving Dortmund in a mutually respectful way. Both player and club have goodwill towards one another. But looking at the years he spent in Dortmund, it is hard to say that Brandt fulfilled the high expectations set for him when he joined.