Borussia Dortmund 2025/26 season preview: Transfers, pre-season, predicted lineup & predictions | OneFootball

In recent seasons, life at Borussia Dortmund can only be described as an emotional rollercoaster. During the initial stages of the 2024/25 campaign, fans of the Schwarz und Gelb were subjected to some of the lowest lows under inexperienced and luckless head coach Nuri Sahin.

However, the appointment of Niko Kovac quickly galvanised the side and dragged the Ruhrpott giants from 11th-place to a vital 4th-place Champions League spot. A collective sigh of relief was exhaled on the final matchday as they defeated Holstein Kiel to confirm their place in Europe’s top competition.

In cup competitions, Dortmund endured a mixed bag. A second-round defeat to VfL Wolfsburg ended their DfB-Pokal hopes early, but their Champions League campaign fared better. A strong league phase set them up to defeat Sporting Lisbon and LOSC Lille before they crashed out to 5-3 on aggregate in the quarter-final stage.

Picking up 7 wins and a solitary draw from their final 8 games of last season, Kovac appears to have the backing of the club’s hierarchy as he approaches his first full campaign in charge. Whether the 53-year-old’s squad has been reinforced in the transfer window is another matter we shall delve into next.

Transfers:

The retention of Champions League football has perhaps played the most important role in Borussia Dortmund’s transfer activity this summer. Retaining their status at the pinnacle of European football has enabled them to keep hold of key assets like Gregor Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck, Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy.

Jamie Gittens’ €56million transfer to Chelsea is perhaps the most notable departure. However, the 20-year-old seemed to fall out of Kovac’s plans midway through last season. Soumaila Coulibaly (Strasbourg) and Youssoufa Moukoko (Copenhagen) have left for a combined €12million, while Diant Ramaj and Kjell Watjen have joined Heidenheim and Bochum on loan.

BVB’s marquee signing Jobe Bellingham, who after 4 goals and 3 assists in 43 games, has joined from Sunderland for €30.5million. The 19-year-old will hope to emulate his brother Jude’s rise at the Ruhrpott giants, while Yan Couto’s loan has been made permanent. Likewise, the impressive Daniel Svensson has been acquired for €6.5million after a strong 6-month showing on loan last season.

It must be said that it’s been a fairly underwhelming transfer window for the club - fans will tell you no different. Although the squad holds reasonable depth, a glaring lack of talismanic quality akin to Haaland or Jude Bellingham is evident. Don’t rule out the return of either Jadon Sancho or Carney Chukwuemeka – the latter, whose price has been haggled down to €25million, makes him more affordable.

Pre-season performances:

After a semi-successful FIFA Club World Cup campaign which ended in a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, BVB players took a well-deserved break. The squad reassembled for pre-season at their Brackel training ground on July 26.

In their first test match of the 2025/26 pre-season, Dortmund took on Sportfreunde Siegen at the end of July which resulted in a commanding 8-1 win over the fourth-tier side. They backed that up with a 3-2 victory against Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille.

Die Schwarzgelben ramped up their preparations into August when the squad travelled to Saalfelden, Austria for an intense 5-day training camp. Upon returning to Dortmund, Kovac’s side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Juventus in Mats Hummels’ farewell game.

BVB’s first competitive fixture of the campaign sees them take on third-tier Rot-Weiss Essen in the first round of the DfB-Pokal on August 18.

Predicted starting lineup:

3-4-1-2: Kobel – Ryerson, Anton, Bensebaini – Couto, Gross, Nmecha, Svensson – Jobe – Guirassy, Adeyemi

New signing Jobe Bellingham looks destined to start from the off after a solid pre-season showing. However, the injury to Niklas Sule comes as a bit of a blow so close to their opening fixture.

As a result, Kobel starts between the posts as normal, with Julian Ryerson set to demonstrate his versatility by dropping into a three-man defence with Waldemar Anton and Ramy Bensebaini.

On the flanks, Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson are expected to work tirelessly. Meanwhile, Pascal Gross and Felix Nmecha form the midfield duo behind Jobe in an advanced No.10 role.

With pre-season tactics suggesting a switch to a double-pronged strike force, Serhou Guirassy ought to be assisted by the pace of Karim Adeyemi. Although nobody can rule out a start for Maximilian Beier who is slowly finding his groove.

Predictions for the upcoming season:

Keeping the core of the team should provide a sense of stability for the club under Kovac, provided injuries are few and far between. The return of Nico Schlotterbeck, sheduled for late October, will bolster the defence while Guirassy’s clinical nature ought to pose handfuls for opposition rearguards once more.

After a handful of turbulent campaigns, BVB desperately need a season of consistency. The lack of star presence is a cause for concern, therefore it’s hard to see them competing for the Meisterschale. Ultimately, if they can maintain their late 2024/25 season form, a top-three finish should be a very realistic target.