BVB, News and Rumours: Transfer fees too high? Two transfer targets apparently too expensive for Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund is likely to miss out on two transfer targets.

According to Sky, BVB are likely to finish second best in the race for Konstantinos Karetsas (KRC Genk) and Diego Moreira (Racing Strasbourg). The stumbling block is the transfer fees demanded by the respective clubs, which BVB are reportedly unwilling to pay.

Genk are said to be demanding between €35 and €40 million for Karetsas, a fee the club considers too risky given his tender age of just 18.

Meanwhile, Moreira's position is also hindering progress, as the 21-year-old primarily operates on the left and right attacking flanks—a role that does not fit Borussia Dortmund's usual 3-4-3 system under head coach Niko Kovac.

So far, Dortmund have signed three players for the coming season: centre-back Joane Gadou from RB Salzburg for around €20m, and two promising talents, Kaua Prates and Justin Lerma.

Borussia Dortmund aim to close the gap on Bayern Munich next season through unity and more attractive football. "I have a clear goal: as a club, we want to be a close-knit team. If we want to be successful, we need cohesion and unity. That is very important to me," sporting director Lars Ricken told Sport Bild. "On the pitch, we stand for two things: hard work and spectacle."

We come from a city with a working-class mentality. "Fighting for victories, standing up for one another – those are our values," Ricken stated, adding, "We want to gain creativity to make our game more attractive."

Next term, they aim to "close the gap on FC Bayern even further – and above all win the direct clashes against Bayern. We're already working on that," said Ricken. Yet he warns that the gap to the German champions must be viewed "realistically": they had just completed the fifth-best season in the club's history and still finished 16 points adrift.

Sporting director Ole Book praised the side's defensive solidity—BVB shipped the fewest goals in the Bundesliga last term—yet still sees room for offensive improvement. "If we add more creativity and firepower up front next term, we can become even stronger," said Book. "That's why we want to raise our game in the final third."

In the coaching department, BVB are prioritising continuity. They have "already spoken internally" with head coach Niko Kovac, whose contract runs until summer 2027. "We're quite relaxed about it because we have a very strong relationship of trust," said Ricken. Mutual respect is high, and Ricken underlines the importance of stability in the coaching role: "Consistency in this position is very important to me." Book adds that any necessary adjustments are being discussed "together", and describes the ongoing dialogue with Kovac as "very good and very intensive. I get the impression that we are marching in the same direction."

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel will not travel to join the Swiss national team for the time being.

The No. 1 shot-stopper is currently sidelined by illness and will link up with his teammates only after receiving medical clearance.

Switzerland will face Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Canada in the group stage of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Before travelling to the USA, the team will play a friendly against Jordan in St. Gallen.

Borussia Dortmund has announced a season-ticket price hike for 2026/27.

Seated tickets will go up by two to four per cent for the 2026/27 campaign, the club has informed its season-ticket holders.

Standing and disabled tickets will also rise by two per cent, meaning a season ticket holder in the South Stand will pay five euros more across 17 Bundesliga home matches.