Borussia Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken admitted they had been tracking Giannis Konstantelias for some time before finally signing him this week.
The Greek midfielder joins the BVB from PAOK Thessaloniki in what's their sixth acquisition of the summer, signing a five-year contract after a hefty €26million transfer.
Only 23 years of age, Konstantelias adds to Dortmund's increasingly young and dynamic squad but Ricken backs his experience to shine within the side.
"We are very pleased that we were able to attract Giannis, a talented offensive player from our ranks whose development we have been following for quite some time. At 23, he is still a relatively young player, but he also brings a wealth of experience to the table. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the officials at PAOK Thessaloniki for the respectful and constructive discussions we’ve had throughout the process of signing Giannis."
Coming through the ranks at PAOK where he joined at 10, Konstantelias broke into their senior team in 2021, but struggle for first-team opportunities saw him join Belgian side Eupen on loan for 2021-22 season.
Upon returning, he quickly established himself as a starter and racked up 188 appearances in official matches, scoring 41 goals too. He won two titles during this period, the 2023-24 Super League Greece and the 2020-21 Greek Cup.
Ricken's sentiment was echoed by Dortmund's sporting director Nils-Ole Book, who backed the star to succeed at the club.
"With Giannis, we’re gaining a player who will strengthen our team with his qualities. We see a lot of potential in him and are convinced that he’ll fit very well into the team. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to our colleagues at FC PAOK for the professional and respectful dialogue throughout the transfer process."
His meteoric rise at the club level saw Konstantelias eventually break into Greece's national team squad in 2023 after representing his nation at various youth levels. So far, he's bagged 18 caps for the former European champions, while netting four goals too.
The player revealed his excitement upon joining the club, saying:
"I’m very excited to play for Borussia Dortmund in the future. BVB is a great club, and I’ll give it my all to be successful here."
A midfielder by trade, Konstantelias garnered a reputation for his creative wizardry at PAOK while drawing plaudits from the club supporters for his rambunctious energy and dynamism.
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