Dortmund Faces Critical Decisions on Guirassy and Adeyemi Futures
Borussia Dortmund’s summer is being built in a meeting room, not on a training pitch.
Sporting director Ole Book and managing director Lars Ricken Guirassy have already sat down with their star striker, laying out transfer plans and trying to convince him that his future still lies in black and yellow. They know what is at stake. So does he.
Guirassy, 30, holds the kind of leverage every forward dreams of: a contract until 2028 and, according to consistent reports, an exit clause of around €35 million for selected top clubs. For a proven goalscorer at his age, it is a figure that invites temptation rather than ends the conversation.
He has not exactly hidden his curiosity about a move. Guirassy has been openly weighing up his options for some time, and his name has now surfaced in Turkey. Recent reports linked him with Fenerbahce Istanbul, with presidential candidate Aziz Yildirim said to have agreed a transfer with the former VfB Stuttgart striker if he wins this weekend’s 6–7 June election. A campaign promise with goals attached.
Inside Dortmund, the tone is more cautious than defiant. Book has stopped short of any bold declarations that Guirassy will definitely stay. His message is clear but not unconditional.
“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 tells the story of BVB’s summer. Ambition, but on a budget.
The club is heavily reliant on transfer revenue to reshape the squad and, crucially, to bring in another attacker. The outgoing deals have already started: Joane Gadou for €19.5 million, Kaua Prates for €7 million and Justin Lerma for €4 million. Those sales keep the market moving, but they do not fully fund a rebuild. Not at the level Dortmund want to operate.
Karim Adeyemi's Situation
Which is where Karim Adeyemi comes in.
At 24, with a contract running until 2027, Adeyemi sits at a crossroads. If he does not extend, a summer sale becomes more than an option; it becomes a financial necessity. This window is Dortmund’s last realistic chance to secure a significant fee before the risk of losing him on a free.
Negotiations have not been smooth. Reports suggest talks have stalled over salary demands and the wording of a possible release clause. Adeyemi pushed back on that narrative in an interview with WAZ, insisting he remains emotionally aligned with 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. The affection is real, but so is the uncertainty. He added: “Above all, it is important to me to receive a clear signal from the club – regardless of which way the decision ultimately goes.”
Dortmund, then, are juggling two decisive attacking futures at once: keeping their current goal machine while trying to avoid losing a key asset for nothing down the line.
One question lingers in the background: who will feed Guirassy if he stays?
The report does not spell out which creative signing could sharpen his numbers even further. In recent weeks, the rumour mill had again spun towards Jadon Sancho and the possibility of yet another reunion. That storyline, so often revisited, now looks all but closed. According to consistent media reports, another Sancho return is virtually off the table.
So the picture is stark. Dortmund want to build around a striker who has delivered relentlessly, yet may be available for a defined price. They need to decide on Adeyemi’s future to unlock funds. And they must do all of this while hunting for the kind of attacking support that can push them closer to the top.
Guirassy’s record explains why the club are fighting so hard to keep him. He has scored 60 goals and added 15 assists in 96 appearances for BVB, with 22 league goals making him Dortmund’s top scorer last season. Those numbers are not easily replaced, certainly not by a club counting every outgoing and incoming euro.
The pressure is obvious, the margins thin. One decisive bid, one contract signature, and Dortmund’s attacking landscape for the next few years changes in an instant.
