Borussia Dortmund’s Youth Revolution: The Pursuit of Giovanni Baroni

Borussia Dortmund’s youth revolution is gathering pace, and once again the compass is pointing firmly towards South America.

Having already secured Justin Lerma (18) from Independiente and Kauã Prates (18) from Cruzeiro, Dortmund are now circling another teenage prospect: Argentine attacking midfielder Giovanni Baroni (17).

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, BVB have entered the race alongside Chelsea and Fiorentina for Baroni, one of the latest talents to emerge from Argentina’s production line. He holds an Italian passport, a detail that makes any potential move to Europe significantly smoother and only increases his appeal to clubs operating within EU squad rules.

Baroni is currently tied to a reported €25m release clause, a hefty figure for a 17-year-old. Di Marzio reports that the amount could be negotiated down to around €15m plus bonuses, a structure that would fit neatly into Dortmund’s long-established model: pay assertively for high-ceiling youth, then trust the pathway.

This is not a sudden change of course in Dortmund’s planning. The groundwork has been laid for months.

Lerma’s €4m deal and Prates’ €7m transfer were concluded earlier but could only be completed once both players turned 18. Those moves were early signals of a clear strategy: secure elite teenage talent before the market explodes around them.

The arrival of Ole Book as sporting director has only sharpened that focus. One of his first major moves was the signing of RB Salzburg defender Joane Gadou for €19.5m, another sizeable investment in a player still at the beginning of his career. It underlined a simple message from the club hierarchy: the next Dortmund side will be built on youth, and they are willing to pay to get the right pieces.

Inside the squad, the pattern is already visible. Samuele Inácio and Luca Reggiani played increasingly important roles in the latter stages of the season, hinting at a future in which Dortmund’s core is shaped by players barely out of their teens but already trusted on big stages.

Baroni would fit that trajectory perfectly: a creative midfielder with European eligibility, a price tag that reflects potential rather than polish, and a profile that suits a club unafraid to throw young players into the fire.

Chelsea and Fiorentina are in the conversation, and the battle for his signature is far from decided. But with Lerma, Prates, Gadou, Inácio and Reggiani already forming the outline of Dortmund’s next generation, the question is becoming clear: