Kos Karetsas Transfer to Borussia Dortmund – A Record Deal for Genk

Genk’s latest gem is heading to Germany – and he’s smashing records on the way out.

According to Bob Faesen of HLN, Genk and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement for the transfer of 18-year-old Greek talent Kos Karetsas, in a deal set to become the most expensive sale in the Belgian club’s history. The exact fee remains under wraps, but Genk had been pushing for around €35 million, and the final figure will eclipse anything they have previously received.

For Genk, this is a familiar story with a different scale. The club’s academy has long been a production line for top-level talent, and Karetsas is the latest to step off the belt and onto a bigger stage. Like Bilal El Khannous before him, he jumped from the youth ranks straight into the first team as a teenager, and he didn’t just make up the numbers.

Karetsas debuted at 16 during the 2023/2024 season. The following campaign he became a fixture, playing 39 games, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Those numbers hinted at potential. What came next underlined it.

In a difficult 2025/2026 season for Genk, the teenager delivered a breakout year. He featured 49 times in all competitions, again scoring three goals but exploding as a creator with 14 assists. While the team struggled, the 18-year-old’s influence grew, his final ball and decision-making sharpening under pressure.

That rise drew attention from across Europe, but Karetsas made his preference clear. Out of the clubs circling, he wanted Borussia Dortmund. He sees the Bundesliga side as the ideal environment to develop, a place where young attackers are trusted, tested, and often launched toward the very top of the game.

He is now expected to sign a five-year contract and make the move to Germany, another teenager betting his future on the Dortmund pathway.

For Genk, it is a record sale and another vindication of their academy model. For Dortmund, it is the latest bold investment in youth. For Karetsas, it is the moment the wonderkid tag meets the weight of expectation.