Dortmund's Transfer Dilemma: Guirassy's Future Uncertain
Borussia Dortmund have started their summer on a knife-edge. The club’s attack, its transfer budget and its short‑term ambitions all orbit around one man: Serhou Guirassy.
Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken have already sat down with the 30‑year‑old to lay out their plans and try to convince him to stay. This was no courtesy visit. It was a sales pitch for the next phase of Dortmund’s project, built around a striker who has become essential.
Guirassy’s contract runs until 2028, but the real power lies in an exit clause. For selected top clubs, he can leave for around €35 million. In today’s market, that is a bargain for a proven Bundesliga goalscorer. Dortmund know it. So do his suitors.
The forward has not hidden the fact that he is thinking about a move. His name has surfaced repeatedly in recent weeks, with reports tying him to Fenerbahce Istanbul. Presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim is even said to have agreed a transfer with the former VfB Stuttgart striker if he wins this weekend’s election, held from 6–7 June. The politics in Istanbul could end up shaping the attack in Dortmund.
Book, for his part, has stopped short of any bold declarations that Guirassy will definitely stay. He cannot. The numbers speak too loudly.
“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. A line that sounds calm, but underlines the reality: every player has a price, even the one carrying the attack.
And Guirassy has been carrying it. He has scored 60 goals and added 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB. Last season alone he hit 22 league goals, finishing as Dortmund’s top scorer. Take that output out of the side and the entire attacking structure has to be rebuilt.
Sales, clauses and a squad in flux
Dortmund’s room to manoeuvre this summer depends heavily on transfer income. The club have already brought in significant funds: Joane Gadou for €19.5 million, Kaua Prates for €7 million and Justin Lerma for €4 million. Those deals are not just housekeeping. They are the foundation for the next wave of signings, especially the search for another attacker.
That search becomes far more urgent if Guirassy walks.
Karim Adeyemi sits at the heart of the next big decision. The 24‑year‑old is tied to the club until 2027, but if he does not extend, a summer sale suddenly makes sense. This is the last realistic window for BVB to cash in before the prospect of losing him on a free becomes alarmingly real.
Talks over a new deal have hit turbulence. Reports point to disagreements over salary and the exact wording of a potential release clause. Adeyemi has pushed back on that narrative, telling WAZ he rejects the idea that negotiations are stuck purely on money and clauses.
“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,” he said. The affection is clear, the commitment less so.
Then came the key line.
“Above all, it is important to me to receive a clear signal from the club – regardless of which way the decision ultimately goes.”
In other words: he wants certainty. Either a strong commitment that he is central to the project, or a clean break that allows both sides to move on with clarity. Until that happens, Dortmund’s planning remains clouded.
No Sancho return, no clear creator
There is another layer to the puzzle. If Guirassy stays, Dortmund want to arm him with even better service. The report stops short of naming the player they see as the ideal supplier for their No. 9, but one name has dominated the rumour mill in recent weeks: Jadon Sancho.
Talk of yet another Sancho comeback had gathered pace, with fans already imagining the winger sliding passes into Guirassy’s runs. Those hopes have cooled sharply. Consistent media reports now describe a renewed move for Sancho as virtually off the table. Financial demands, squad balance, strategic direction – whatever the exact blend of reasons, Dortmund are preparing for a future without him.
That leaves a gap. Not just on the wing, but in the creative structure around Guirassy. The club must now identify a different type of playmaker or wide forward who can sharpen the final ball and raise the ceiling of an already prolific striker.
A summer that will define the attack
Everything loops back to the same questions. Does Guirassy stay and remain the focal point of Dortmund’s forward line? Does Adeyemi sign and grow into a long‑term pillar, or leave to fund the next rebuild? Who arrives to feed the goalscorer if the Sancho route is truly closed?
BVB’s hierarchy have put their cards on the table: they do not want to lose Guirassy, but they will listen if the offer is “exceptional”. In a market where €35 million barely buys potential, that stance will be tested.
For now, Dortmund live in the tension between ambition and necessity. Keep the goals, or cash them in. Strengthen around their striker, or be forced to replace him entirely.
By the end of this window, it will be clear which path they chose – and whether they can still build a title‑ready attack around the man who scored 22 times last season.
