Who Is Borussia Dortmund's Most Important Player Going Into The 2026/27 Season?

The striker has been an ever-present force at the top end of the pitch for BVB ever since he signed for the club in July 2024. In his debut season for the Yellow Wall, he scored 34 goals and 6 assists in 45 games for Dortmund, helping secure the club's Champions League football. 

The experienced Bundesliga striker then went on to prove that this season was not a one-off season, as last season he scored another 26 goals and 4 assists in 51 games. However, this goalscoring record has led to Guirassy being linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund this summer, with Juventus and Fenerbahçe being reported to have expressed an interest in the striker.

But as of right now, Serhou Guirassy is still a Borussia Dortmund player, and the club are planning with Serhou Guirassy firmly in their plans, with their stance on the striker clear; they have no intentions to sell Guirassy this summer. 

Should the club be able to bring in adequate reinforcement to aid Guirassy's goalscoring, like Konstantinos Karetsas, the striker is a highly valuable asset to Dortmund and a player who could be crucial in any success BVB have next season.

The German defender has been a rock in Dortmund's backline since signing for the club in July 2022. Over several years, Schlotterbeck's role within the BVB team has grown year by year, and he is now one of the most senior players in the Borussia Dortmund ranks. 

The 29-time capped German international is currently injured following an MCL tear in his left ankle, picked up in the World Cup and ruling him out of the remainder of the competition, so BVB will be without their star defender and a real leader in the dressing room for the opening games of the new Bundesliga season. 

So we will see how big the absence of Schlotterbeck is felt in those opening weeks of the season, and unfortunately for Dortmund, it might have to be something they get used to given the persistent speculation regarding Schlotterbeck's future at the club, with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool all being linked to the defender.

The German midfielder has just come off the back of a hugely successful individual season for both club and country.

For Borussia Dortmund, he had his best season to date, being highly influential in his deep-lying playmaking position, while also being given more license to go forward, scoring 6 goals and getting 3 assists in 47 games across all competitions for Dortmund. This form from Nmecha earned him a call-up to Julian Nagelsmann's 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad.

While Germany had a massively underwhelming campaign in the World Cup, being knocked out by Paraguay in the Round of 32, however, on player that emerged from that disappointing German World Cup performance was Felix Nmecha. The Dortmund midfielder stood out massively with his performances in the group stages of the tournament, getting a goal and an assist across the 3 group stage games.

These performances, along with his ones for Dortmund during the regular season, have attracted interest from several major European clubs, including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

But should Dortmund keep hold of Felix Nmecha, he will be a huge player for them next season, someone who is able to run a game offensively and defensively and could be the key to getting the most out of any incoming forward line signings.

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Overall, all of these players hold a huge amount of influence on which way this season goes for Borussia Dortmund, but will they be the only ones, or will players like Jobe Bellingham or Fabio Silva kick on this season and become one of the first names on the teamsheet for Dortmund?

And perhaps possible new signings like Joane Gadou, Justin Lerma and Takato Yamamoto can make an immediate impact for BVB and help the club bridge the gap to their rivals next season.

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