Serhou Guirassy's Future at Borussia Dortmund: A Dilemma

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 striker has decided he wants out this summer, unsettled by 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 is pushing for one more big move, one more challenge that fits the way he wants to play.

On paper, his situation looks straightforward. A €40 million release clause, a prime-age centre-forward, and interest from Europe’s elite. Seven top clubs, including Real Madrid and Manchester City, are believed to be in a position to trigger that clause. None of them has done it.

Instead, the real movement is coming from the tier just below the super-clubs. AC Milan, Fenerbahce and Tottenham Hotspur are all tracking the Guinean international and are prepared to negotiate directly with Dortmund. Because of the way his deal is structured, those clubs would have to sit down with BVB rather than simply paying the clause and walking away. Guirassy is tied to Dortmund until 2028, and that long contract gives the Bundesliga side leverage – if they can convince him to stay.

Inside the club, they are trying. Hard.

Dortmund’s hierarchy has not given up on the idea of keeping their No. 9. They know what he brings. Since arriving from VfB Stuttgart in 2024, Guirassy has hit 21 goals and added six assists in 45 appearances. That output is not easily replaced, especially in a market where every proven goalscorer carries a premium.

Sporting director Ole Book has already sat down with him. Talks have started, not about money, but about vision: how Kovac wants to shape the attack, how Guirassy fits into that, how the team can evolve around his strengths. The next step is a broader push. Lars Ricken and Kovac himself are expected to join the discussions as Dortmund try to sell the project back to their own striker.

The dilemma is obvious. Let him go now and you cash in, but you also dive into a brutal hunt for a comparable forward. Keep him, and you must convince a restless goalscorer that the football around him will change enough to match his ambition.

While Guirassy weighs his future, another Dortmund player is living with a very different kind of uncertainty.

Ramaj loses his place – and faces an unclear path back to BVB

Until last weekend, Diant Ramaj was the undisputed No. 1 at 1. FC Heidenheim. Then came Cologne away, a 3-1 win, and a surprise name on the team sheet: Frank Feller in goal, not the BVB loanee.

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt explained the decision before kick-off, and he did not hide behind clichés.

"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," Schmidt said.

Ramaj, 24, saw it coming. He admitted he had "expected" the demotion and pointed to the brutal honesty that defines Schmidt’s dressing room. The coach backed that up: "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."

The win in Cologne keeps Heidenheim alive in the relegation fight and makes it even harder for Schmidt to change back for the final day. Ramaj is now likely to watch Saturday’s season finale against Mainz 05 from the bench.

Once the season ends, he returns to Dortmund. BVB only signed him from Ajax Amsterdam in February 2025, handing him a contract until 2029 and positioning him as a long-term goalkeeping option. Yet his future in black and yellow is anything but secure.

WAZ has reported that Dortmund, runners-up in the Bundesliga, are considering a sale despite the length of his deal. For a young keeper who has just lost his starting spot on loan, the next few weeks could reshape his career. Fight for a role at BVB? Move again for minutes? The decision will say plenty about how Dortmund see their goalkeeping hierarchy.

Dortmund’s kids chase a trophy of their own

While the first team wrestles with big-money decisions and uneasy futures, Dortmund’s next generation is chasing something far simpler: a cup.

On Tuesday at 8 pm, a combined Borussia Dortmund U19/U23 side will play Real Madrid’s youngsters in the final of the Premier League International Cup. It is a competition that stretches over several months, matching England’s top U21 teams against some of Europe’s best youth sides. Dortmund have treated it seriously, and it shows.

Their route to the final reads like a tour of English academies. In the group stage across December and January, BVB beat Leeds United, West Ham United and AFC Sunderland, advancing despite a defeat to Manchester United. In the quarter-finals they knocked out Everton. In the semi-finals at the end of April, they edged past Real Sociedad.

Now comes Real Madrid.

"Real are a typical Spanish side who have a lot of possession, play dominantly and press high up the pitch," said Dortmund U19 coach Felix Hirschnagl. There is respect in that description, but no hint of fear.

U23 coach Daniel Rios made the approach clear: "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."

The squad for the final underlines why Dortmund are so invested in this competition. Filippo Mane and Almugera Kabar are involved, as is 16-year-old Mathis Albert, who stepped into the Bundesliga spotlight in the 4-0 win over Freiburg at the end of April. For players like Albert, this is not just a youth final; it is another step towards regular senior football.

So while Guirassy ponders a move and Ramaj waits to learn his fate, Dortmund’s academy teams walk into a European final with clarity: a trophy on the line, a style they believe in, and a stage that could accelerate the next wave into the first team.

If BVB manage to keep their goalscorer, solve their goalkeeping puzzle and keep this production line flowing, how different might the club look a year from now?