￡17m: BVB are reportedly close to pulling off a surprise transfer

Ole Book

BVB are reportedly pursuing a surprise transfer: a centre-back from Portugal.

Record reports that Borussia Dortmund have submitted an opening bid of €12 million for FC Alverca defender Bastien Meupiyou, with a further €5 million in potential add-ons. The Black and Yellows have been monitoring the 20-year-old since January.

Meupiyou joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from FC Nantes in the summer of 2024 for five million euros but failed to make a senior appearance, spending the campaign with the U21s despite beginning the season in the first-team squad. 

After just one season, Wolves farmed him out to Alverca, where he excelled last term, clocking up 32 competitive outings as the club finished eleventh in the Portuguese top flight. The next significant step in Meupiyou's career now appears imminent.

Although Wolves retain a buy-back clause, Record claims that, after their Premier League relegation, they are more inclined to cash in on the 50 per cent sell-on fee they negotiated. 

Meupiyou is represented in the talks by Jorge Mendes, a familiar face in Dortmund as he also handles the ongoing contract extension for Karim Adeyemi. BVB are not alone, however, with several other clubs also monitoring the defensive prospect.

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BVB and their centre-backs: Fears over the Schlotterbeck clause?

Borussia Dortmund has secured the signing of highly rated teenager Joane Gadou. BVB paid a hefty €20 million to RB Salzburg for the 19-year-old's services. While Gadou is poised to slot straight into the first team, Meupiyou is likely to be viewed as a prospect for now. That could change, though, if Nico Schlotterbeck activates the release clause he agreed when extending his contract in April and departs. 

Liverpool FC—one of three clubs covered by the clause—has been short of options since Ibrahima Konate's free transfer departure. Like Schlotterbeck, Meupiyou is left-footed. 

The departures of Niklas Süle and the long-term injury to captain Emre Can left Dortmund short at the back, especially since coach Niko Kovac favours a three-centre-back setup. Last term's injury crisis in defence is fresh in the memory, and the club is determined to avoid a repeat. 

Loanee Aaron Anselmino's sudden exit in the winter only deepened the crisis, though it also opened the door for Luca Reggiani, who made his first nine professional appearances and impressed.