€20m deal! BVB seal first summer signing | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund is on the verge of making its first major signing under new sporting director Ole Book. According to media reports, center-back Joane Gadou is set to join BVB in the near future.

As Sky reports, the transfer of the 19-year-old from RB Salzburg is in its final stages. Gadou himself recently hinted at his departure on Instagram, indirectly saying goodbye to the Austrian club.

For BVB, this would immediately be a signing with a strong statement of intent.

Dortmund investing heavily

According to the report, Dortmund is expected to pay a base fee of around €20 million for Gadou. The total could rise even further through possible bonus payments.

The French U20 international is actually under contract in Salzburg until 2029. He only moved to Austria last summer from the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy.

In Salzburg, Gadou quickly developed into an important part of the defense. Overall, the center-back has already made 40 competitive appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga and has also gained his first international experience in Champions League qualifying.

Photo: IMAGO

The transfer fits perfectly with Dortmund’s current philosophy.

BVB continues to focus specifically on young, high-potential players who can still develop and have strong market value. Internally, Gadou is apparently seen as a defender with enormous potential — both sporting and financial.

This exact model has repeatedly brought Dortmund high transfer profits in recent years. Developing players, nurturing them, and later selling them at a profit remains a central part of the club’s strategy.

Need for action in defense

From a sporting perspective, the transfer also makes sense.

Following Niklas Süle’s departure, BVB needs to strengthen at center-back. Added to that is the still uncertain future of Nico Schlotterbeck, whose contract has been extended but who apparently has a release clause.

With Gadou, Dortmund would be moving early for one of the most exciting defensive talents in Europe.

One thing already seems clear: Ole Book is getting started at BVB with a transfer that is internally viewed as an important project for the future.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.