Diant Ramaj
The last loanee from Borussia Dortmund is goalkeeper Diant Ramaj. Ramaj is a 23-year-old German goalkeeper who spent time in the youth ranks of VFB Stuttgart and Heidenheim before transferring to Eintracht Frankfurt. During his time in Frankfurt, Ramaj only made two appearances for the first team before Ajax purchased him for a fee of €5 million. Ramaj’s Transfermarkt value rose to a height of €18 million during his time in Amsterdam.
In the 2023/24 season, Ramaj played a total of 31 first-team appearances with five clean sheets. He was the clear starter until an injury ended his season in April. As the 2024/25 season began, the German lost his place in the starting lineup to 41-year-old Remko Pasveer. Pasveer’s experience and command of the defense helped him earn the starting role over Ramaj, and he has already kept nine clean sheets this year. Although not starting regularly for Ajax, Ramaj still showed enough last season to impress, as he drew interest from top English clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea during the summer window.
In his 22 games of the 2023/24 season, Ramaj had a save percentage of 69%, a number higher than 10 Bundesliga keepers this season — including Kobel. He possesses a strong long-range passing ability and is adept with both feet. Some strong qualities suggest that his potential should not be derailed by the benching at Ajax. In a smart move, BVB signed the player for only five million euros, less than his Transfermarkt valuation. He has since been sent on a loan to Danish side Copenhagen, where he has played in nine games while keeping two clean sheets.
Ramaj will have an interesting future at Dortmund. His time at BVB will likely depend on the happenings of Gregor Kobel and backup Alexander Meyer. Kobel has gained interest from top European sides for the last few seasons and could be headed for the exit door this summer. Meyer, on the other hand, has a contract until 2026 and has done well as Kobel’s backup since his arrival. Transfermarkt has reported that Ramaj could replace Kobel in the future, but another loan next season will also be on the cards if Kobel stays around.
Diant Ramaj will prove to be a good signing by Dortmund for two reasons. Reason one: if Kobel leaves, he will have been a cheap replacement with the ability to do well in the Bundesliga. For his age, it is good to make a signing with experience in both German and European competitions. The second reason is that if Kobel stays, Ramaj will have a chance to improve his value on loan this season and the next. If Dortmund decides he is not the first choice for the future, the club will still likely record a profit in his transfer.