Dortmund’s No.9 scored an impressive 34 goals in all competitions last year, including 21 in the Bundesliga and 13 in the Champions League, including a hat-trick against Barcelona. With his outstanding performance, he ranks 21st in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, ahead of Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Declan Rice. However, things have not gotten better for the Guinean striker this season.
Since the start of the 25/26 season, Gilasi has only scored 9 goals, 5 of which came in the Bundesliga, 3 in the Champions League, and 1 in Dortmund’s now-concluded German Cup. This time last year, he only scored 10 goals, but under Nouri Shaheen, Dortmund’s form is even worse, with only 21 points after the 13th round. As things stand this season, under the leadership of Niko Kovac, Dortmund has 28 points after the 13th round. In comparison, Gilassi scored 12 goals in the final 11 games of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, including 4 goals against Union Berlin, which ultimately saw them finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League.
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The Guinean has repeatedly underwhelmed in the team and his role as a target man has rarely lived up to expectations. This season in the Bundesliga, he concedes 10 goals per game, 36% more than the top five forwards in the Bundesliga.
Supporters are increasingly frustrated with the 29-year-old’s inclusion in the starting XI. One Dortmund fan site said “it’s like Groundhog Day” and wondered “What dirt does Gilassi have on Kovac?”
Gilassi’s frustrations at Dortmund
Guirassy was obviously frustrated too. The striker refused to shake Dortmund coach Niko Kovac’s hand after being substituted in the 61st minute of Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Kovac told a news conference that Gilasi apologized after the incident, adding: “He knew he reacted inappropriately there. That’s important to me”. Then he started the German Cup match mold factory On the bench. According to Kovacs, this had nothing to do with Gilasi’s actions four days earlier.
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Gilasi’s contract with Dortmund expires in 2028, but there is a release clause that allows him to leave earlier if they are satisfied. Bild reported last month that Gilasi’s brother and agent Kalamba had been making offers to clubs in Saudi Arabia.
Can Gilasi leave in the winter transfer window?
The release clause in Gilassi’s contract allows him to leave Signal Iduna Park early for a fee of €50 million, although this only applies to a handful of Europe’s top clubs. Other clubs would have to spend at least €80 million to acquire the striker’s services. Although €50 million at the end of the 24/25 season may seem like a bargain given Gilassi’s current form, it’s hard to imagine any club paying such a large fee for Gilassi right now.
Dortmund’s current second-choice forward Fabio Silva is also rumored to be interested in leaving the German club during the winter transfer window. Dortmund has since ruled out a move for the Portuguese striker, reportedly informing Silva’s agent that a move is “completely impossible”.
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The 23-year-old has been disappointed with his playing time so far. He made his first start in Dortmund’s 1-0 DFB-Pokal defeat at Bayer Leverkusen. In October, he scored his first and only goal for Dortmund in their 4-2 Champions League win over Copenhagen and provided a key assist for Karim Adeyemi’s winning goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. It’s hard to see Silva taking Gilasi’s place so soon. If the Guinean leaves in the winter, the Dortmund hierarchy will almost certainly be scrambling to find another striker.
If Gilasi leaves in January, Dortmund will be in trouble with few attacking players left in the squad. Perhaps this will allow the club’s younger players, such as Julian Duranville, to get a chance to play. Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Aslani is set to be Borussia Dortmund’s preferred replacement, although a winter transfer is highly unlikely, especially with Bayern also reportedly interested in the striker.
It remains to be seen how the transfer window unfolds for the Guinean. It is currently unlikely that he will travel to Saudi Arabia in February, with a summer departure appearing more likely, although the large sums of money he would need remain a hurdle.
Borussia Dortmund could be rebuilding again in the summer.