Serhou Guirassy's Future at Borussia Dortmund: A New Challenge Ahead
Serhou Guirassy is edging towards the exit at Borussia Dortmund. Not because of the city, not because of the coach as a person, but because of the football.
According to Sky Sport, the 30-year-old has decided he wants out this summer, dissatisfied with BVB’s style of play under Niko Kovac. The relationship with the coach is said to be good. The relationship with the system, less so. At 30, Guirassy wants a new challenge, a different rhythm to his football, a team that plays to his instincts.
On paper, the situation looks simple. His contract runs until 2028. His release clause stands at €40 million. Seven heavyweight clubs – including Real Madrid and Manchester City – could trigger it at any moment. None of them has moved.
Instead, the chase has taken on a more nuanced shape. AC Milan, Fenerbahce and Tottenham Hotspur are pushing hardest for the Guinean international, but they cannot simply press a button and sign him. They need to sit down with Dortmund, negotiate, and pay properly. The clause alone is not their pathway; they must convince BVB as well as the player.
Inside Dortmund, they are not ready to give up. Far from it. Guirassy has scored 21 goals and added six assists in 45 appearances since arriving from VfB Stuttgart in 2024. That kind of output is hard – and expensive – to replace. The sporting leadership knows it.
Sporting director Ole Book has already met the striker. Lars Ricken and Kovac are expected to join the next round of talks, an all‑in effort to change his mind and sell him a future in black and yellow. The message from the hierarchy is clear: they value him, and they fear the cost – sporting and financial – of finding someone comparable.
For Guirassy, the decision is more emotional than contractual. Stay and adapt to a style that grates, or walk away from a club that still wants to build around him?
Ramaj loses his place – and faces an uncertain Dortmund future
While Guirassy weighs up his next move, another Dortmund player has already felt the harsh edge of decision-making.
Until last weekend, Diant Ramaj was 1. FC Heidenheim’s undisputed number one. Then came Cologne away. A 3-1 win for Heidenheim, but with a different name on the teamsheet: Frank Feller.
Frank Schmidt did not hide the reasoning.
“Frank Feller went into pre-season as our potential number one, then he got injured and was out for months. Recently, his form in training has been top-class. We haven't won many away games, but we have to win today. We're rewarding him for his performances, and maybe he'll bring us a bit of luck too,” the Heidenheim coach explained before kick-off.
Ramaj saw it coming. He “expected” the demotion, Schmidt revealed, and the coach underlined the blunt communication that defines his dressing room.
“We’re very clear in our communication. We don’t beat about the bush and leave players in the dark; we always tell it like it is. Even if it’s rubbish, we say so. That’s what we thrive on – that team spirit,” Schmidt said, his team still clinging to hopes of avoiding relegation after the win in Cologne.
For Ramaj, the immediate future looks like the bench for Saturday’s season finale against Mainz 05. After that, he goes back to Dortmund when his loan ends in the summer.
BVB only signed the 24-year-old from Ajax Amsterdam in February 2025, tying him down until 2029. On paper, that suggests long-term planning. Reality might be different. WAZ has reported that the Bundesliga runners-up are also considering a sale, leaving Ramaj’s Dortmund prospects hanging in the air.
A keeper in limbo, a club weighing options, a market waiting to see who blinks first.
Dortmund’s kids chase a trophy under the lights
While the senior squad wrestles with transfer dilemmas, a different Dortmund side is chasing something more straightforward: silverware.
On Tuesday at 8 pm, a combined Borussia Dortmund U19/U23 team faces a Real Madrid selection in the final of the Premier League International Cup. It is not a glamour friendly. It is a serious test after a long campaign.
The competition stretches over months and brings England’s top U21 teams together with elite international youth sides. Dortmund have earned their place the hard way. In the group stage between December and January, they beat Leeds United, West Ham United and AFC Sunderland, and still went through despite a defeat to Manchester United. In the knockout rounds, they took out Everton in the quarter-finals and Real Sociedad in the semi-finals at the end of April.
Now comes Real.
“Real are a typical Spanish side who have a lot of possession, play dominantly and press high up the pitch,” said U19 coach Felix Hirschnagl before the final. He knows exactly what his players are walking into.
U23 coach Daniel Rios will not compromise on identity.
“We’re not going to change our approach now and become significantly more defensive. We are convinced that our style of play—both with and without the ball—gives us the best chance to beat a very strong opponent,” he insisted.
The squad reflects Dortmund’s next wave. Filippo Mane, Almugera Kabar and 16-year-old Mathis Albert are all involved, Albert fresh from his Bundesliga debut in the 4-0 win over Freiburg at the end of April.
Guirassy’s future may be cloudy. Ramaj’s path may be uncertain. But under the floodlights in this youth final, Dortmund can see something very clearly: the outline of the club they want to be, and the players who might define it.
