Borussia Dortmund's Youth Strategy: Targeting Giovanni Baroni

Borussia Dortmund are doubling down on a strategy that has served them well for more than a decade: find the talent early, pay the fee, and trust their system to do the rest.

After confirming the arrivals of Justin Lerma and Kauã Prates, both 18, from Independiente and Cruzeiro, Dortmund are now circling another South American prospect. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, BVB have joined Chelsea and Fiorentina in the race for Giovanni Baroni, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder seen as one of Argentina’s next big exports.

Baroni, who already holds an Italian passport, reportedly has a €25m release clause. Di Marzio reports that the figure could drop to around €15m plus bonuses — a price range that sits squarely in Dortmund’s sweet spot when they truly believe in a player’s ceiling. With Chelsea’s financial muscle and Fiorentina’s strong record with young South Americans also in the mix, this is no soft-market punt. It is a straight fight for a teenager who has not yet kicked a ball in Europe.

The interest in Baroni does not come in isolation. Dortmund’s summer business already carries a clear pattern. Deals for Lerma (€4m) and Prates (€7m) were wrapped up earlier, with both only allowed to join once they turned 18. They are part of a broader shift that has accelerated since Ole Book took over as sporting director.

Book has already overseen the €19.5m signing of Joane Gadou from RB Salzburg, a defender viewed as a long-term piece rather than a quick fix. Inside the club, the emergence of Samuele Inácio and Luca Reggiani in the latter stages of last season has only strengthened the resolve to lean harder into youth, not retreat from it.

Dortmund have built their reputation on precisely this kind of bet. From Jadon Sancho to Jude Bellingham, the model is clear: identify the next wave before everyone else, give them minutes, and let the Westfalenstadion do the rest. The pursuit of Baroni, alongside the arrivals of Lerma, Prates and Gadou, suggests the next generation is already being assembled — and the bar for making it into that group is rising fast.