Ole Book faces a major test: Could BVB lose two strikers in one fell swoop?

These comments are open to interpretation. In the mind-set of a competitive athlete, Guirassy has said nothing unusual. It's no surprise that the 30-year-old – like most of his BVB teammates – is not ecstatic about the team's comfortable second-place finish.

Yet persistent transfer rumours have dogged him for months, and these days they surface with suspicious regularity. Last summer, after he scored 38 goals and provided nine assists—including the Club World Cup—and finished as the Champions League's top scorer, the speculation was just as loud.

It also emerged that his contract, running until 2028, includes a release clause that would let him join a select group of elite clubs for a fixed fee of 40 million euros. Yet, to date, no suitor from that top tier—be it Real Madrid, Manchester City or another—has made a formal approach.

Istanbul-based Fenerbahce are pushing hard to secure Guirassy's services, and the player is reportedly open to a move, just as he was last year. That much is clear from his public remarks.

Sporting director Lars Ricken told Funke Mediengruppe, "We have not received any offers for Serhou. Nor do we intend to let him go. He has impressively demonstrated his value to Borussia Dortmund over the last two seasons."

With 60 goals and 15 assists from 96 competitive appearances, Guirassy has already left his mark at BVB. His departure, even for a transfer fee exceeding €40 million, would be a major blow to the club. Losing his goals would be costly, and the squad currently has few alternatives.

Borussia signed Fabio Silva last year to offset the loss of Guirassy, paying a hefty €22.5 million. Yet the forward showed limited finishing ability, contributing to ten goals (three scored, seven assisted) in 39 appearances. Maximilian Beier is not a classic centre-forward and has recently been deployed increasingly on the left wing, while Karim Adeyemi's future remains entirely uncertain.

Because Guirassy has yet to show any commitment to BVB—neither last summer nor since—the club's new sporting director, Ole Book, could soon face the biggest transfer puzzle of the window.

Book recently hinted that Dortmund could start the new campaign without the striker: "With his goals, he is very, very important. It is not our plan or intention to let him go. Nevertheless, the same rule applies: if an exceptional offer arrives, we will consider it."

In his first transfer window at BVB, Book must quickly show the same creativity he displayed at Elversberg, and he faces plenty of work in both the defensive and creative departments. Borussia are expected to sign two more players: a defensive midfielder who can also contribute to the build-up, and a number 10 to replace Julian Brandt.

The former role—theoretically the higher priority—could be filled by the much-discussed 16-year-old talent Kennet Eichhorn of Hertha BSC. However, Sport Bild claims that signing a new attacker is meant to persuade Guirassy to stay. According to the report, club officials met with the striker, outlined their plans, and explained that Brandt's successor would create more chances for him.

The 28-cap international still has plenty of uncertainty around his future, and that may persist: the window stays open for another three months, and, as past seasons show, business rarely gathers pace until after the World Cup. Guirassy could easily wait until then to decide.

Book has been preparing for this; rumours about new strikers and potential successors to Guirassy are rife. Yet the stakes could not be higher. Get it wrong, and Borussia will be left exposed; the chosen replacement must match Guirassy's output on paper.

Veteran super-sub Silva, who has made 29 substitute appearances, will be monitoring developments closely. His status at BVB has already cost him a place at the World Cup with Portugal, so any new arrival competing directly for minutes could force Book and Borussia to manage another layer of squad politics.