From wonderkid to worry: Duranville facing BVB exit | OneFootball

After high expectations and a multi-million transfer fee, Julien Duranville now appears to be on his way out at Borussia Dortmund. Injuries and disappointing performances meant the once highly touted talent never truly found his footing at BVB.

Julien Duranville appears to be heading for a definitive exit from Borussia Dortmund. As reported by BILD, both BVB and the player’s camp are working toward a permanent split despite his contract running until 2028. When Dortmund signed the Belgian from RSC Anderlecht in the winter of 2023 for around €8.5 million, he was regarded as one of Europe’s biggest attacking talents. Expectations for the speedy winger were enormous.

Even Vincent Kompany publicly raved about Duranville during their time together in Belgium and once linked him with a truly major career. But at BVB, the now 20-year-old increasingly became a cause for concern. Time and again, Duranville was held back by injuries. Over the past two and a half years alone, he has missed more than 80 competitive matches for club and country. Instead of the hoped-for breakthrough, what followed was a long spell of suffering.

He also never managed to establish himself consistently on the pitch. His loan move to FC Basel was recently supposed to offer a fresh start, but even in Switzerland the hoped-for progress failed to materialize. In 16 league games, Duranville scored just two goals and set up one more. Overall, he managed only three goal contributions in 17 competitive appearances for Basel.

BVB coach Kovac sent a clear message to Duranville

As a result, doubts within Dortmund are said to have been growing for quite some time. According to BILD, criticism was not limited to his injury problems. Those in charge were reportedly also disappointed on several occasions by his effort, body language, and attitude. At times, Duranville even disappeared completely from the senior squad.

Photo: IMAGO

At the time, coach Niko Kovac also had some blunt words about the Belgian: “We are at BVB, and there are really good players here. He is too, but the others are better!” Comments that were already interpreted as a clear signal back then.

Now, there are many signs that the partnership will come to an end this summer. Clubs from France in particular are said to be showing strong interest in Duranville. One thing is also clear, however: Borussia Dortmund is highly unlikely to recoup anything close to the €8.5 million they once invested. That means the former wonderkid is increasingly turning into a costly miscalculation for the Black and Yellows.

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