Dortmund's Transfer Dilemma: Guirassy and Adeyemi's Future
Borussia Dortmund’s summer is being shaped in private meeting rooms long before a ball is kicked. At the heart of it all: Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi, two forwards whose futures could define the club’s next step.
Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken have already sat down with Guirassy, laying out transfer plans and trying to convince the 30-year-old that his goals belong in black and yellow a little longer. They know exactly what they are up against.
Guirassy’s contract runs to 2028, but it contains an exit clause. Around €35 million, activated only by selected top clubs. For a striker with his numbers, it is a tempting figure in a market where proven goalscorers are scarce and expensive.
The striker has not hidden that he is weighing up his options. His name has surfaced repeatedly in recent weeks, most notably in Turkey. Fenerbahce Istanbul have been linked, with presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim reportedly having an agreement in place with the former VfB Stuttgart forward—on the condition that he wins the 6–7 June election. Politics and football, colliding over a penalty-box predator.
Inside Dortmund, nobody is pretending this is simple. Book has stopped short of any bold declarations.
“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.
That single sentence captures Dortmund’s reality. Ambition, but with a balance sheet.
The club’s transfer strategy this summer leans heavily on outgoing deals. BVB have already cashed in on Joane Gadou (€19.5m), Kaua Prates (€7m) and Justin Lerma (€4m). Those sales form the financial backbone for a squad refresh, including the hunt for another attacker who can either complement Guirassy or replace him if the clause is triggered.
Adeyemi's Situation
Adeyemi sits right on that fault line.
At 24, with a contract until 2027, he is approaching the point where a decision can no longer be delayed. Extend now, or sell while there is still a serious fee on the table. Letting him run his deal down would be a luxury Dortmund can barely afford.
If Adeyemi does not sign a new contract, a summer sale is likely. It would be the last window in which BVB can realistically secure a substantial transfer fee before the risk of a free transfer looms. For a club operating within clear financial limits, that is not a minor detail. It is a turning point.
Reports have suggested that talks over an extension have stalled—snagged on salary demands and the wording of a potential release clause. Adeyemi has pushed back on that narrative, telling WAZ he has repeatedly spoken in favour of Borussia Dortmund and highlighted what he values about the club and his passion for it.
Still, he did not hide what he expects in return. “Above all, it is important to me to receive a clear signal from the club – regardless of which way the decision ultimately goes,” he said.
The ball, in many ways, is now in Dortmund’s court.
While the club plots its attacking structure, one name that had stirred fans’ imaginations has almost vanished from the table. A renewed move for Jadon Sancho had been floated in recent weeks, the idea of rekindling a once-electric partnership around Guirassy appealing on paper. According to consistent media reports, that scenario is now virtually dead. The financial and sporting pieces simply do not align.
That leaves a simple, hard question: who will supply Guirassy if he stays?
The report does not name the creative force Dortmund are targeting to feed their No. 9, but they know what they would be protecting. Guirassy has delivered 60 goals and 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB, and his 22 league goals last season made him the club’s top scorer. Those are not numbers you replace lightly, or cheaply.
So the summer at Dortmund turns on two signatures and one release clause. Keep Guirassy, unlock Adeyemi’s future, and BVB can build. Lose one—or both—and the entire attacking plan has to be redrawn in real time.
