As with last season, uncertainty continues to surround Serhou Guirassy’s future at Borussia Dortmund, with the striker yet to confirm his commitment to the club. Should the 30-year-old decide to leave, sporting director Ole Book could be left handling the most challenging rebuild of the summer.

To his credit, Serhou Guirassy avoided the usual platitudes and offered a candid verdict. “There haven’t been any truly great moments this season,” the Borussia Dortmund forward told Sport1 recently. He explained the reason simply: “because we haven’t won anything.” Guirassy added, “When you play for Dortmund, you want to win trophies.”

His words naturally drew attention. From a player’s viewpoint, Guirassy merely voiced what many fans already know. The 30-year-old, like most of his BVB teammates, is far from satisfied with a comfortable second-place finish in the league.

However, transfer speculation around the Guinean star has been relentless for months and has only intensified recently. Last summer, after scoring 38 goals and providing nine assists—including in the Club World Cup—while finishing as the Champions League’s top scorer, the rumours were equally loud.

It was also revealed that his current contract, which runs until 2028, contains a release clause allowing him to join a select group of elite clubs for a fixed €40 million. Yet so far, no top-tier club such as Real Madrid or Manchester City has made a formal approach.

Serhou Guirassy’s departure would be a major blow to Borussia Dortmund.

Fenerbahce, based in Istanbul, are reportedly keen to bring in Guirassy, and the player is said to be open to the idea—just as he was last year. His recent remarks clearly reflect that stance.

Sporting director Lars Ricken told Funke Mediengruppe that the club had yet to receive any formal offers: “We have not received any offers for Serhou. Nor do we intend to let him go. He has proven his worth to Borussia Dortmund over the last two seasons.”

With 60 goals and 15 assists in 96 competitive matches, Guirassy has already established himself as a vital figure at BVB. Even a sale worth more than €40 million would hit the club hard, given how much they rely on his scoring output. The current squad has limited replacements ready to fill that void.

Serhou Guirassy has yet to commit his future to Borussia Dortmund.

To prepare for such a scenario, Borussia signed Fabio Silva last year for €22.5 million. However, the young forward struggled to deliver consistently, recording just 10 goal contributions (three goals and seven assists) across 39 appearances. Maximilian Beier, meanwhile, is not a traditional No. 9 and has been used more frequently on the left flank, while Karim Adeyemi’s future remains uncertain.

Because Guirassy has not confirmed his intentions, the club’s newly appointed sporting director, Ole Book, could soon find himself dealing with Borussia Dortmund’s most significant transfer challenge of the off-season.

Book admitted recently that Dortmund might have to start their next campaign without their key striker: “With his goals, he is very, very important. It is neither our plan nor our starting point to let him go. However, if exceptional offers come in, we will assess them.”

Ole Book must now demonstrate the same inventive approach he showed at Elversberg.

In his first transfer window at Borussia Dortmund, Book will need to display the same creativity that defined his success at Elversberg, as reinforcements are required at both ends of the pitch. The club plans to bring in two more key players: a defensive midfielder with strong build-up skills and a playmaker to replace Julian Brandt.

The first position—possibly suited for 16-year-old prodigy Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha BSC—is seen as the bigger priority. Nevertheless, a recent Sport Bild report suggested that signing a new attacking midfielder could help convince Guirassy to stay. According to that report, club officials met with the striker, laid out their vision for the future, and stressed that Brandt’s successor would help create more scoring opportunities for him.

The 28-cap Guinea international remains a focal point of speculation, and that is unlikely to change soon. The transfer window remains open for another three months, and historically, major moves tend to happen after the World Cup. Guirassy might wait until then before determining his next step.

The Guirassy situation and Borussia Dortmund’s looming challenge

Book has been preparing for this situation, as rumours about potential replacements for Guirassy continue to swirl. However, the stakes are exceptionally high. On paper, any successor must deliver results comparable to Guirassy’s outstanding output.

Regular substitute Silva, who made a club record 29 appearances off the bench last season, will be following developments closely. His limited starting role at Borussia Dortmund even cost him a spot in Portugal’s World Cup squad. If a new striker arrives soon after Guirassy’s possible exit, Book and the club may have further personnel management issues to handle.