After successfully making it through to the Landesliga, Borussia Dortmund is strengthening its team with a national player, among others.

The Borussia Dortmund team, which was only founded for the 2021/22 season, has made it from the Kreisliga to the Landesliga within two years. At the same time, the footballers from Borsigplatz are keeping their sights firmly on their goal of “promotion to the Bundesliga in 2027” and are pursuing a personnel policy accordingly. Danelle Tan will be the first national player to wear the black and yellow jersey in the 2023/2024 season.

Tan, 18, who made her debut for Singapore at the age of 14 and now has 20 caps to her name, joins from English third division side London Bees and, according to a report in The Straits Times, has turned down a scholarship to play for BVB. Contact with Tan was made through Suresh Letchmanan, Dortmund’s Asia Pacific manager. She convinced the BVB officials in videos and during a training week with the team in February.

She justifies her move to the Landesliga as with BVB’s infrastructure and goals: “Some might think that moving to Dortmund in the fifth league is a step backwards, but I disagree. The facilities are world class, the coaches are first class. Dortmund is a special club dedicated to building the women’s team and I want to be a part of that.”

Women’s department head Svenja Schlenker was correspondingly delighted with the successful transfer coup. “Danelle’s journey to BVB can be seen as an inspiration to young female athletes around the world and shows that hard work, talent and dedication can pave the way for extraordinary opportunities,” she told The Straits Times. “Their determination and passion for the sport embody the values we stand for as an association: Teamwork, perseverance and the pursuit of excellence.”

Tan, however, is not the only external addition to the BVB women’s squad this season. Merle Greulich is another 18-year-old talent joining Borussia. Greulich comes from the U17 Bundesliga team of SGS Essen. In addition, Lena Kölmel, Marjana Naceva and Ana Schönenberg will move from the second to the first team of BVB for the coming season.

With eight departures announced and Borussia’s ambitious plans, for which the Landesliga is only meant to be a stopover, it is also not impossible that more signings will follow. It remains to be seen what surprises Svenja Schlenker’s team will pull out of the hat.