Dortmund's Transfer Dilemma: Guirassy and Adeyemi's Future

Borussia Dortmund are trying to build a new attack while clinging to the one thing they cannot afford to lose: goals.

Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken Guirassy have already sat down with Serhou Guirassy, laying out their plans and making the case for him to stay. It was more than a courtesy visit. It was an attempt to protect the club’s most reliable source of firepower.

The problem is written into his contract.

The 30‑year‑old has an exit clause running until 2028, set at around €35 million for selected top clubs. For a striker who hit 22 league goals last season and has 60 goals and 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB, that figure looks dangerously attainable for Europe’s elite.

Guirassy has not hidden his curiosity about a new challenge. His future has hovered over Dortmund for months, and the noise grew louder when reports in Turkey linked him with Fenerbahce. Presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim is said to have an agreement in place with the former VfB Stuttgart forward, should he win this weekend’s 6–7 June election. One ballot box in Istanbul could reshape Dortmund’s summer.

Inside the club, nobody is pretending otherwise. Book chose his words carefully but did not offer any guarantees.

“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 on the pitch, dependence off it.

BVB’s transfer strategy this summer leans heavily on outgoing deals. The club have already cashed in Joane Gadou (€19.5m), Kaua Prates (€7m) and Justin Lerma (€4m), and those sales are expected to bankroll new arrivals – especially another attacker. Every move is linked. Every decision on one forward affects the next.

Karim Adeyemi

Karim Adeyemi sits at the heart of that equation.

If the 24‑year‑old does not extend his contract, which runs until 2027, a sale in the coming weeks looms as the logical outcome. Lose him now for a fee, or risk watching him walk away for nothing later. For a club that lives off trading margins, the choice is brutal but familiar.

Negotiations have hit a snag. Reports suggest talks have stalled over salary demands and the structure of a potential release clause. Adeyemi publicly pushed back against that version of events, speaking to WAZ to underline his attachment to the club.

“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.

Then came the line that really matters to the boardroom.

“Above all, it is important to me to receive a clear signal from the club – regardless of which way the decision ultimately goes.”

So the stand-off continues: a player asking for clarity, a club weighing sentiment against spreadsheets.

Dortmund’s recruitment plan around Guirassy remains opaque. The latest report does not name the creative piece they hope might feed him even more chances if he stays. For weeks, the obvious answer seemed to be a familiar face. Rumours swirled about yet another attempt to bring Jadon Sancho back, a move that would have instantly changed the mood around the Westfalenstadion.

That door now appears to have closed. Consistent media reports describe a Sancho return as virtually off the table, removing one of the most exciting – and expensive – options from BVB’s board.

So the picture is stark. The club’s top scorer, armed with a relatively affordable exit clause. A rapid, high‑ceiling winger whose contract talks are stuck. A transfer budget tied to who leaves, not just who arrives.

Dortmund know exactly what Guirassy gives them. Sixty goals, 15 assists, and 22 strikes last season alone tell their own story. The question that hangs over the summer is simpler, and sharper.

Can they afford to sell the goals that keep them competitive, just to fund the rebuild they believe will take them forward?