Dortmund Targets Giovanni Baroni in Youth Strategy

Borussia Dortmund’s South American gamble is only just beginning.

Having already moved aggressively for Justin Lerma (18) from Independiente and Kauã Prates (18) from Cruzeiro, BVB are now circling another teenager from the same talent-rich continent: Giovanni Baroni.

Dortmund join race for Baroni

As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, Dortmund have entered the battle with Chelsea and Fiorentina for Baroni, a 17-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder whose name is starting to travel quickly through European scouting departments.

Baroni carries an Italian passport, a crucial detail for any club thinking about integration and registration rules. His current release clause is understood to stand at €25m, but Di Marzio reports that the figure could drop to around €15m plus bonuses — a very different conversation for a club that has built its modern identity on spotting value before the rest of Europe wakes up.

Chelsea’s presence hints at a familiar storyline: Premier League money, long contracts, a vast loan army. Fiorentina’s interest offers a more traditional Serie A pathway. Dortmund’s pitch, though, is clear and proven — a direct line from academy promise to the Westfalenstadion spotlight.

A window built on tomorrow

This is not an isolated move. It is a pattern.

Lerma and Prates, whose deals were agreed earlier for reported fees of €4m and €7m respectively, could only complete their moves once they turned 18. Dortmund waited. They usually do when they believe the payoff will be worth it.

The arrival of sporting director Ole Book has only sharpened that strategy. Under his watch, BVB have already secured Joane Gadou from RB Salzburg for €19.5m, a sizeable outlay for a defender still more prospect than finished article. It underlines where the club are placing their bets: on upside, on development, on the next wave rather than the last.

Inside the squad, the trend is already visible. Samuele Inácio and Luca Reggiani forced their way into the picture in the closing stages of the season, not as token cameos but as genuine options. Those minutes were not handed out lightly. They were a statement.

Put together, it paints a clear image of Dortmund’s transfer window so far: a club doubling down on youth, on potential, on the idea that the next great side in black and yellow will be built, not bought ready-made.

If Baroni becomes the latest piece of that project, the question will not be whether he is too young. At Dortmund, the only question is how quickly he can be ready.