Dortmund's Transfer Dilemma: Guirassy and Adeyemi Futures at Stake
Borussia Dortmund’s summer is being shaped not on the pitch, but across a negotiating table.
Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken have already sat down with Serhou Guirassy, laying out their transfer plans and making a clear pitch: stay, be the focal point, lead the next phase. The meeting underlined what everyone at the club knows. Keeping their top scorer is the cornerstone of the window.
The problem is written into his contract.
The 30‑year‑old has an exit clause valid for selected top clubs, reportedly set at around €35 million in a deal that runs until 2028. For a striker with Guirassy’s numbers, that figure is less a barrier and more an invitation. He has been openly weighing up a move for some time, and his name has already surfaced in Istanbul. Fenerbahce presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim is said to have agreed a transfer with the former VfB Stuttgart forward if he wins this weekend’s 6–7 June election.
Dortmund can talk about ambition and projects. The market talks in clauses.
Book has chosen his words carefully in public. He stopped short of any grand promise that Guirassy will definitely remain. “His goals make him incredibly important, so our stance is clear: we do not want to lose him. But if an exceptional offer arrives, we will consider it,” he said. It is the line of a club that wants to compete at the top while still needing to sell smartly to fund the next wave.
And that pressure is real. BVB are heavily reliant on transfer income to reshape the squad, especially to bring in another attacker. The first steps have already been taken: Joane Gadou has gone for €19.5m, Kaua Prates for €7m, Justin Lerma for €4m. Those deals keep the books healthy, but they also strip depth and force Dortmund to get the next moves right.
One name sits at the heart of that calculation: Karim Adeyemi.
If the 24‑year‑old does not extend his contract, which runs until 2027, a sale this summer looms as the logical – and probably necessary – outcome. Wait too long and he can walk for free. Move now and BVB get one last serious fee to reinvest.
Talks, though, are stuck. Reports point to a stand-off over salary demands and the wording of a potential release clause. Adeyemi has publicly pushed back on that version of events, telling WAZ: “I have spoken out in support of Borussia Dortmund on many occasions and have always emphasised what I value about this club and how passionate I am about it.” The affection is clear. The future is not.
“Above all, it is important to me to receive a clear signal from the club – regardless of which way the decision ultimately goes,” he added. The ball, in his view, is in Dortmund’s court.
While the club wrestles with contracts, another key question lingers: who will supply Guirassy if he does stay? The report stops short of naming a specific creator to unlock even more goals from him. Recent weeks brought the familiar rumour of a fresh attempt to bring Jadon Sancho back, a move that would have electrified the fanbase and given Guirassy the kind of service strikers dream about. According to consistent media reports, that option has now all but disappeared from the board.
So Dortmund find themselves in a delicate position. Their primary finisher is tied down but temptingly affordable for Europe’s elite. Their explosive wide forward is edging towards a contract crossroads. The ideal play would be to keep Guirassy, resolve Adeyemi’s future on their terms, and still find the creative spark that Sancho once provided.
The numbers show why they are fighting so hard. Guirassy has scored 60 goals and delivered 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB, with 22 goals making him Dortmund’s top scorer last season. Those are not statistics you casually replace. They are the foundation of a season.
Whether they remain the foundation of the next one depends on what happens in these negotiations – and on who is willing to meet a €35 million clause that could redraw Dortmund’s entire attacking plan in a single stroke.
