Four BVB flops: these players disappointed in 2025/26 | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund look back on a season of ups and downs. Despite finishing as runners-up, four BVB professionals in particular fell well short of expectations.

After an inconsistent 2025/26 season, the overall verdict at Borussia Dortmund is a mixed one. Although BVB finished the Bundesliga in second place with 73 points, the Black and Yellows fell short of expectations in the cup competitions. As so often happens, a season of highs and lows did not produce only winners. Some Dortmund professionals failed to meet the high expectations and rank among the biggest losers of the campaign.

Yan Couto: The Brazilian is among the biggest losers of the recently concluded BVB season. After a decent start, the 23-year-old quickly lost the battle for the right flank to Julian Ryerson and barely played any role afterward. Under Niko Kovac, Couto was mostly used as a backup, and especially in the second half of the season he was almost exclusively on the bench. As a result, Couto once again failed to live up to the high expectations following his costly signing in his second BVB season.

Karim Adeyemi: After being one of Dortmund’s most consistent attacking players in the first half of the season, the 24-year-old steadily lost importance after the winter break. Injuries, inconsistent performances, and several disciplinary issues on and off the pitch repeatedly set Adeyemi back. In addition, Maximilian Beier clearly overtook him in the final stretch of the season and even secured a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Adeyemi, on the other hand, will miss the tournament. Despite respectable stats of ten goals and six assists, the attacker once again fell short of the high expectations. That is also why a summer departure currently seems increasingly likely.

BVB striker Silva disappoints with only three goals

Carney Chukwuemeka: After his permanent signing, Dortmund had hoped for a breakthrough from the highly talented 22-year-old, but once again physical issues in particular prevented the next step in his development. Chukwuemeka was only rarely in the starting lineup and made just 1,225 minutes of appearances across all competitions. Although the technically gifted midfielder repeatedly showed flashes of his great potential, his overall impact remained limited. His ongoing fitness problems in particular increasingly became a talking point.

Photo: IMAGO

Fabio Silva: After his signing, Dortmund had hoped for more depth at center-forward, but the 23-year-old was only rarely able to meet expectations. Silva initially needed time to settle in due to injury, was mostly used as a substitute, and at least showed some lively signs in phases. However, as a finisher, the striker fell far short of expectations. Just three goals in 39 competitive matches is clearly too few for a center-forward, even if Silva totaled only 1,181 minutes of playing time and at least drew attention at times with seven assists and a high work rate.

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