The name Borussia Dortmund has long been synonymous with turning a huge profit on its stars. The German club has become one of Europe's most prominent models for discovering talent, developing it and then selling it on for enormous sums. From Dembélé to Bellingham, by way of Sancho, Haaland and Aubameyang, Dortmund have grown accustomed to multiplying their investments and turning players into historic deals.
Karim Adeyemi's transfer to Barcelona was different. The German club made a limited gain compared with what it had grown used to over the past years, stepping outside the rule that built its reputation in the transfer market, according to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
Barcelona officially announced the signing of Germany's Karim Adeyemi (24) from Borussia Dortmund last Thursday. The Catalan club paid a fixed fee of 22 million euros, plus a further 7 million euros in add-ons, bringing the total value of the deal to 29 million euros.
Dortmund preferred to sell the player a year before his contract expired rather than lose him for free. Even so, the deal did not deliver the profit margin that made the club famous. Back in the summer of 2022, Borussia Dortmund had paid 30 million euros to sign Adeyemi from Red Bull Salzburg. The club made no net profit whatsoever, then, and merely reduced its financial losses.
Dembélé: the deal that made the difference
Ousmane Dembélé's sale remains one of the greatest in Borussia Dortmund's history.
Back in 2016, the German club signed the French winger from Rennes for just 15 million euros, before selling him to Barcelona in the summer of 2017 for 135 million euros, including bonuses.
That gave Dortmund a profit of 120 million euros in a single year.
Bellingham: a historic investment
In the summer of 2020, Borussia Dortmund paid 29 million pounds sterling to sign Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City.
Three seasons later, the English midfielder moved to Real Madrid for 127 million pounds sterling, handing the German club a profit of nearly 98 million pounds sterling.
Sancho: a masterstroke
Jadon Sancho embodied Dortmund's philosophy in the best possible way.
The club signed him from Manchester City for around 10 million euros, then sold him to Manchester United just two years later for more than eight times that amount. It stands as one of the club's most successful deals.
Pulisic: the scouts' gem
Dortmund discovered American Christian Pulisic at 16, adding him to the club's academy in 2015.
A few years later, the player moved to Chelsea for 64 million euros, another success for the club's record.
Aubameyang: huge profits
In 2013, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund from Saint-Étienne for 13 million euros.
Four years on, he moved to Arsenal for 63 million euros, giving the German club a net profit of 50 million euros.
Haaland: a winning deal despite the release clause
In 2019, Dortmund signed Norwegian striker Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg for 22 million euros.
Manchester City later signed him in 2023 for just 60 million euros because of the release clause. Even so, the German club came away with a profit of 38 million euros.
Gittens: a cost-free deal
English winger Jamie Gittens is another example of Dortmund's skill at investing in talent.
He joined the club in 2020 from Manchester City on a free transfer, then moved to Chelsea in 2025 for 56 million euros, giving the club almost pure profit.
Mkhitaryan: a fresh gain
Dortmund recruited Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for 25 million euros.
Three seasons later, the club sold him to Manchester United for 42 million euros, banking a profit of 17 million euros.
Götze: the release clause settles the deal
In 2013, Bayern Munich activated the release clause in Mario Götze's contract, paying 37 million euros to secure his services.
Borussia Dortmund pocketed a net profit of 37 million euros from the transfer. Götze went on to lead Germany to the 2014 World Cup with his famous goal in the final.
The Adeyemi deal, then, shows that Borussia Dortmund were this time forced to part with one of their players on terms that do not reflect their usual philosophy in the transfer market.
Selling the player a year before his contract ran out is a logical decision economically. Yet the club did not achieve the huge gains it had grown used to, making Adeyemi's move to Barcelona one of the most notable exceptions in a Dortmund record packed with sales at enormous profit.