Dortmund's Transfer Dilemma: Guirassy and Adeyemi Futures in Balance

Borussia Dortmund’s summer is being shaped not on the training pitch, but across negotiating tables and in quiet meeting rooms.

Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken Guirassy have already sat down with Serhou Guirassy, laying out their transfer plans and making their pitch: stay, lead the line, be the focal point of the next Dortmund side. The conversation was less a courtesy and more a necessity.

Because Guirassy holds the kind of leverage every striker dreams of.

The 30-year-old has an exit clause in his contract, which runs until 2028, set at around €35 million for selected top clubs. For a forward who has delivered consistently, that figure is a temptation across Europe. He has been open for some time about weighing up a move, and his name has now surfaced in Turkey. Recent reports have linked him with Fenerbahce Istanbul, where presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim is said to have agreed a transfer with the former VfB Stuttgart striker if he wins this weekend’s 6–7 June election.

Dortmund know all of this. They also know what they stand to lose.

Guirassy has scored 60 goals and provided 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB, and his 22 goals last season made him the club’s top scorer. Those numbers are not easily replaced, especially in a window where every outgoing deal is tied to the next incoming hope.

Book has already admitted as much, stopping just short of any cast-iron promise that Guirassy will remain. His message was clear: the club want him, but the market dictates the rules.

“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 sentence sums up Dortmund’s summer. Emotion on one side, economics on the other.

BVB’s plans hinge on transfer revenue. The club has already cashed in Joane Gadou (€19.5m), Kaua Prates (€7m) and Justin Lerma (€4m), and that money is earmarked to reshape the squad, with particular focus on another attacker. The model is familiar: sell smartly, reinvest aggressively, hope the cycle continues.

Karim Adeyemi

Karim Adeyemi sits at the heart of the next big decision.

If the 24-year-old does not extend his contract, which runs until 2027, a sale this summer becomes more than just an option; it becomes the last realistic chance to secure a fee before the risk of losing him on a free. The talks, though, are anything but straightforward.

Reports suggest negotiations have stalled over salary demands and the wording of a potential release clause. Adeyemi has pushed back against that portrayal, telling WAZ that he has repeatedly spoken in support of Borussia Dortmund and stressed how much he values the club and his passion for it. His stance, however, comes with a pointed caveat.

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

So the impasse remains. A player asking for clarity. A club balancing ambition against budget. A contract ticking down.

While Dortmund wrestle with those questions, another storyline appears to have reached its end. The idea of bringing Jadon Sancho back again has flickered all spring, a familiar rumour with obvious appeal. Yet, according to consistent media reports, that move is now virtually off the table. The fantasy of Guirassy feeding off Sancho’s service will stay just that.

The report does not name the creative signing who might instead supply Guirassy with even more chances should he stay. That absence underlines the reality: the squad is still a puzzle in progress, and the picture changes every time a clause, a demand or an offer comes into play.

For now, Dortmund stand at a crossroads. Keep Guirassy and find a way to extend Adeyemi, and the attack looks settled, dangerous, and ready to grow. Lose one or both, and the club dive back into a market where everyone knows they are buying under pressure.

The next signature on a contract in Dortmund will not just decide a player’s future. It could define the direction of the entire season.