Genk's Kos Karetsas Joins Borussia Dortmund for Record Fee

Genk’s latest gem is heading to Germany, and it will cost a record-breaking fee to prise him away.

According to Bob Faesen of HLN, Genk and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement for the transfer of Greek wonderkid Kos Karetsas, a deal set to become the most expensive outgoing transfer in the Belgian club’s history. The exact figure remains under wraps, but Genk had been pushing for around €35 million. Whatever the final number, it will rewrite their books.

For Dortmund, this is a familiar play. For Karetsas, it is the move he wanted.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has made it clear he views Dortmund as the ideal platform to develop, choosing the Bundesliga side ahead of other interested clubs. He is expected to sign a five-year contract and slot straight into a system built on trusting young, technically gifted players.

Genk know this story well. Their academy has become a production line for elite talent, and Karetsas is the latest to step off it. Like Bilal El Khannous before him, he jumped from the youth ranks into the first team as a teenager and never looked overawed.

He made his senior debut at just 16 during the 2023/24 season. The following campaign he became a regular, featuring in 39 matches, scoring three goals and adding three assists. Those numbers only hinted at what came next.

In a difficult 2025/26 season for Genk, Karetsas exploded. While the team laboured, the teenager surged, playing 49 games in all competitions. He matched his previous goal tally with three more, but his creativity spiked: 14 assists, a breakout return that underlined his vision and final ball in the attacking third.

That production, at that age, in a struggling side, is exactly the kind of profile Dortmund target. A teenager already carrying responsibility, already delivering.

Genk lose another homegrown star. Dortmund gain a playmaker built for their model. The fee will go down in Genk history. What Karetsas does next will decide how far his name travels beyond it.