Julian Brandt is gone, Karim Adeyemi has followed him out the door, and Borussia Dortmund are three weeks into a summer that will define whether Niko Kovac's side can genuinely compete for silverware in 2026/27. The bones are good. The squad depth, less so.
Let's start with what actually matters: the Brandt void. Seven years, 1,607 minutes last season, third in goals and fourth in combined goal contributions — he was the connective tissue in Dortmund's attack. Whoever replaces him needs to do more than fill minutes. They need to create chances from tight spaces, press intelligently, and carry the ball in transition. That's a specific profile.
Karestsas is the key signing
Dortmund's primary target is 18-year-old Greek international Konstantinos Karestsas from Genk, and the fit makes sense. Ten assists in the Belgian Pro League last season, four more in Europe, operating as Genk's chief playmaker either wide or behind the forward — he profiles as a direct Brandt replacement with more pace and a higher ceiling. Ole Book and Lars Ricken reportedly traveled to Genk personally to broker the deal. A fee between $30–35 million is expected.
That personal touch from the sporting director and CEO matters. It signals genuine intent, not a speculative approach. Dortmund are in pole position, and given that Adeyemi's Barcelona sale brought in $25 million plus conditional add-ons, they have the financial headroom to get this done.
The Adeyemi exit itself is clean enough. Seven goals and four assists across 1,196 league minutes — he was inconsistent, spent much of the season behind Maximilian Beier, and wanted the move to Catalonia. Hard to hold a grudge. Barcelona also paid a 35% sell-on clause, so if Adeyemi finds his form at Camp Nou, Dortmund will benefit again down the line.
The new arrivals worth watching
Three of Dortmund's four incoming signings are teenagers, which tells you something about the club's current philosophy: buy cheap, develop early, sell high. Whether that produces a title-challenging squad in 12 months is a legitimate question.
- Joane Gadou (CB, 19, ex-Salzburg — ~$22m): Described as further ahead at this age than Dayot Upamecano was at the same stage. That's a bold comparison, but Gadou's physical profile and PSG academy pedigree back up some of the hype. He slots in as fourth-choice center-back, though Nico Schlotterbeck's ligament injury — keeping him out until mid-September — means Gadou could see meaningful minutes earlier than anticipated. Contract until 2031.
- Kauã Prates (LB, 17, ex-Cruzeiro — ~$7m): Daniel Svensson played 2,452 minutes last season largely because Dortmund had nobody behind him. Prates is here to fix that structural weakness. Leonardo Jardim — who coached him at Cruzeiro — calls him a "balanced full-back" with quality at both ends. At 17, he's a rotation option now and a competitor for the starting spot within a couple of years.
- Justin Lerma (MF, 18, ex-Independiente Del Valle): The Ecuadorian was actually announced back in May 2024 and has only now officially joined. An explosive, shot-happy midfielder who floats around the box — raw, but he scored in preseason, which buys him early goodwill with the fanbase.
- Takato Yamamoto (MF, 18, loan from Gamba Osaka — buy option $1.7m): A one-year loan from the J-League that will almost certainly start in the reserve team. Scored in Dortmund's opening friendly. One to monitor rather than rely on.
The departures beyond Brandt and Adeyemi are largely painless. Niklas Süle retired due to health issues — genuinely sad, and his move to amateur side SV Tiefenbach is exactly the kind of ending that deserves nothing but goodwill. Salih Özcan (73 Bundesliga minutes last season) leaves for Besiktas on a free. Cole Campbell heads to SV Elversberg for $7 million — solid return on a player who barely featured. Kjell Wätjen, Dortmund's local academy product since age nine, joins FC Midtjylland under former coach Mike Tullberg.
On the retention front: both Nico Schlotterbeck and Serhou Guirassy had release clauses that expired July 15. Neither triggered. Schlotterbeck is injured, Guirassy is already in preseason camp. For now, Dortmund's spine is intact — and that matters enormously for their Bundesliga odds heading into August.
Jadon Sancho is a free agent again, has been linked with Dortmund again, and his underlying creation numbers still hold up despite fading end product. That rumor will outlive us all.
The window is three weeks old. Karestsas is the one that closes it properly — or doesn't.
