Kos Karetsas Transfer: Genk's Record Sale to Borussia Dortmund
Genk’s latest gem is heading to Germany, and it will cost a record-breaking fee to prise him away.
According to Bob Faesen of HLN, Genk and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement for the transfer of Greek teenager Kos Karetsas, a deal set to become the most lucrative sale in the Belgian club’s history. The exact figure remains under wraps, but Genk had been pushing for around €35 million. Whatever the final number, it will rewrite their books.
For Dortmund, this is a familiar play: spot an 18-year-old with elite upside, move decisively, and offer a long runway of development. Karetsas is expected to sign a five-year contract and swap the Cegeka Arena for the Bundesliga, a leap that underlines both his ambition and his reputation.
He is not just another academy graduate at Genk. He is the latest headline act from a production line that has become one of Europe’s most respected. Like Bilal El Khannous before him, Karetsas forced his way from the academy into the first team as a teenager and stayed there.
Timeline
The timeline tells its own story. He debuted at 16 during the 2023/2024 season, then exploded into prominence the following year with 39 appearances, three goals and three assists. Those are solid numbers for a youngster breaking through. The next campaign turned them into something more.
In 2025/2026, while Genk laboured through a difficult season, Karetsas surged. The 18-year-old featured 49 times in all competitions, again scoring three goals but this time supplying a remarkable 14 assists. In a struggling side, he became the creative reference point, the teenager opponents had to track and teammates kept looking for.
That production, at that age, inevitably drew attention. Several clubs circled. Karetsas made his choice clear. He wanted Borussia Dortmund.
The reasoning fits the pattern of recent years. For a young attacking talent, Dortmund offer minutes, pressure, and a proven track to the very top. From Jadon Sancho to Jude Bellingham, the club has built a reputation as a finishing school for elite prospects. Karetsas sees his next step on that same path.
Genk, meanwhile, lose another jewel but bank a record sale, a reinforcement of their model as much as their finances. Dortmund gain a creator shaped by heavy responsibility before his 19th birthday.
Now the question moves from boardroom to pitch: how quickly can Kos Karetsas turn promise into Bundesliga influence in the yellow and black of Borussia Dortmund?
