BVB, news and rumours: U-turn for star striker? Alleged transfer deadline for Serhou Guirassy revealed

Quo vadis, Serhou Guirassy? After Bild reported a few weeks ago that the BVB star striker wanted to sign the last big contract of his career in the summer and probably "cash in big time" in Saudi Arabia, this is now not quite set in stone.

According to Bild, a move to Saudi Arabia, where his brother and advisor reportedly offered him a contract last summer with the prospect of doubling his annual salary in Dortmund (rumoured to be nine million euros), is now only his "second priority". 

A move to the desert is not out of the question, but several European clubs that will be playing in the Champions League next season have now contacted the Guinean's management. Guirassy is particularly high on AC Milan's "wish list", but he is not the only striker candidate for a summer transfer. 

According to Bild, the exit clause in Guirassy's contract, which allows the 29-year-old to move to selected top clubs for €45 million two years before the end of his contract in Dortmund, cannot be activated by Milan, but only by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool. In the event of concrete transfer interest from the Rossoneri, BVB would therefore be free to negotiate the transfer fee. The same would apply to any interest from the desert.

Guirassy has set himself a deadline for his decision about his future. Shortly after the end of the season in May at the latest, he wants to inform the club whether he will request a transfer or enter the final year of his contract with the Black and Yellows. His "big dream" is still to win a title with Dortmund.

Guirassy is also Dortmund's top scorer in the current season. In 37 competitive games, he has scored 17 goals and provided six assists. In his debut season at BVB, he scored 34 goals and provided nine assists in 45 competitive games.

Since the summer, Kjell Wätjen has been playing on loan for Bochum, their local rivals – and if the 20-year-old midfielder has his way, that could remain the case.

"I can definitely imagine staying at VfL beyond the summer," Wätjen told Bild, but also emphasised: "Nothing has been clarified or decided yet. Moreover, BVB also has the upper hand. We'll see what happens."

Wätjen had sought a new home in Bochum – albeit a temporary one – due to the relegation of BVB's reserve team from the third division and the slim prospect of playing time with the professionals.

While he played in almost every Bochum game until the end of January and was often in the starting line-up, in recent weeks he has increasingly been sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. In November, he scored his first and so far only goal for VfL. 

"I had my issues and I discussed them clearly with the coach [Uwe Rösler, editor's note]. I worked hard on them and he saw that I had improved. The feedback has been more positive since then," said Wätjen about his current situation.

Wätjen's professional contract with BVB runs until 2028, and his loan ends on 30 June. Wätjen will then return to Dortmund, where another major upheaval is looming. 

Julian Brandt's departure is already confirmed, and Niklas Süle's expiring contract will most likely not be renewed. However, Dortmund are well-stocked in central midfield with Felix Nmecha, Jobe Bellingham, Carney Chukwuemeka and Marcel Sabitzer. 

Wätjen showed promise in his professional debut for BVB and even caused a stir with an outstanding assist to Marco Reus in the 5-1 victory over FC Augsburg on 4 May 2024. At that time, he played the entire 90 minutes. After that, however, he only made three brief appearances.