Kauã Elias (18, ST, Fluminense):
Last but not least, another Brazilian joins this list as this young talent gained a lot of responsibility this season at his local club, Fluminense. Kauã Elias is a striker with a lot of potential as the 18-year-old became one of (if not the most) essential players at a team fighting against relegation.
A few months back, Fluminense won the Libertadores Cup for the first time in their history, playing a non-positional style with the visionary manager Fernando Diniz. Kauã at the helm of that team. This season, Diniz was sacked following a very underwhelming start of the league campaign. With the declined form of the former starter, German Cano, Kauã Elias became a key component, scoring six goals and providing two assists at the Brasileirão.
The strong and skillful center-forward, who can also play as a second striker, is valued at around eight million euros, according to Transfermarkt. However, he recently renewed his contract until 2029, and his release clause to European clubs is estimated at 70 million euros, as reported by the Brazilian media.
Even with those high figures, Kauã is a fair mention to this list and an example of why Dortmund needs to act fast when it comes to securing talent in the South American market. The ideal scenario would be for Dortmund to register interest before these kinds of talents become way too expensive for the club's coffers to be able to responsibly afford.