Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a decent 2025/26 season, finishing runners up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, while also making it to the Round of 16 in the DFB Pokal and the Round of 32 playoffs of the UEFA Champions League.
In an effort to improve in the upcoming campaign, the club has been hard at work over the summer, making a number of valuable additions to their squad.
To bolster their defence, BVB have signed Joane Gadou from RB Salzburg (€19.5m) and Kaua Prates from Cruzeiro (€7m).
Their midfield has seen a major overhaul, with the acquisitions of Justin Lerma from Independiente del Valle (€4m), Konstantinos Karetsas from KRC Genk (€30m) and Joey Veerman from PSV Eindhoven (€22m).
On the flip side, several important players have also moved on from the club, as Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, Niklas Sule and Salih Ozcan all parted ways with the eight-time German champions.
Amidst all this, the most hyped piece of business Dortmund have pulled off this window is undoubtedly the signing of Giannis Konstantelias from Greek Super League side Paok Thessaloniki.
While any player joining one of Europe’s biggest clubs is sure to generate plenty of buzz, things have gone to a whole different level in Konstantelias’ case.
Having made his debut in 2021, Giannis Konstantelias initially struggled to establish himself as a regular with PAOK, even spending the first half of the 2022/23 season on loan with Belgian outfit KAS Eupen.
When he returned to Thessaloniki for the second half of the season, however, he shifted gears and never looked back.
Ever since, remained an extremely crucial player for the team. He played a starring role in helping his team win the Greek Super League title in 2023/24, before being voted the Super League Greek Footballer of the Season the following year. In the 2025/26 season, he scored 14 goals and provided 9 assists in 40 appearances.
Giannis Konstantelias was so loved amongst PAOK fans that many considered him to be in the same realm as legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as seen by the poster unfurled below.
Naturally, many top European clubs took notice of Konstantelias’ talent, and his future was the subject of intense speculation this summer.
In the end, he chose to join Borussia Dortmund, a club that has earned a reputation of being perhaps the best in the world when it comes to giving youth a chance to hone their craft and show their talent on the biggest of stages.
While BVB fans will be pretty excited with this signing, PAOK fans left no stone unturned in their efforts to keep hold of their star man and stop the move from going through.
Once it was reported that Konstantelias’ transfer was on the verge of completion, fans took to the Toumba Stadium in their thousands, staging a protest.
Many also reportedly turned up to the airport in a last-ditch attempt to convince Giannis Konstantelias to stay put.
Ultimately, though, Konstantelias’ move to Dortmund was officially confirmed on Monday, August 17, for a fixed fee of €26 million. Another €6 million are also included in the deal, as potential add-ons.
Just like the fans, it appears the attacking midfielder left a lasting impression on his former teammates.
Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, who has been with PAOK since September 2024, left a comment wishing Konstantelias well under one of Borussia Dortmund’s Instagram posts, and his admiration for the youngster was clear to see.
Brazilian winger Taison Freda ‘thanked god for allowing him to play alongside’ the new BVB signing in his farewell message.
Looking at how hard fans fought for him and how respected he is amongst his former teammates, BVB will be pretty excited about the player they’ve just got their hands on.
Teaming up with compatriot Konstantinos Karetsas, another world-class talent, fans will be hoping to see Giannis Konstantelias work his magic at the Signal Iduna Park.
