Borussia Dortmund has acted swiftly, appointing Nils-Ole Book as their new Sporting Director, succeeding Sebastian Kehl. Book, known as a gifted talent scout and the architect behind SV Elversberg’s remarkable ascent from the regional league to the brink of the Bundesliga, has signed a three-year contract with BVB and will report to Managing Director of Sport, Lars Ricken. Dortmund reportedly paid a low seven-figure transfer fee to Elversberg for his services.
Lars Ricken expressed his satisfaction, stating, «With Ole Book, we have secured our ideal candidate for the Sporting Director position. I have long followed his excellent work at Elversberg and am absolutely convinced that Ole is an excellent fit for us, both professionally and personally. I have great confidence in his expertise to develop creative and bold ideas in the transfer market.»
Book, 40 years old and a former solid midfielder himself, is considered a master of talent scouting. For example, he discovered Younes Ebnoutalib in the sixth division and sold him a year later to Eintracht Frankfurt for eight million euros. Names like Nick Woltemade, Fisnik Asllani, and Paul Wanner are also associated with his work at Elversberg. There, he once invested 1.5 million euros for David Mokwa, a sum that quadrupled the club’s previous record transfer – figures he will now handle on a completely different scale at BVB.
However, Book himself has already pointed out a looming challenge: «The bigger and more traditional the club, the more people exert influence, the more difficult it naturally becomes to create a coherent squad plan,» he explained. At Elversberg, decisions were made «based on substantive criteria» without significant external pressure or calls for «big names.» These conditions will fundamentally change at BVB, which is facing a squad overhaul.
Book’s immediate tasks in Dortmund, which he has considered a «special club with an emotional connection since childhood,» include negotiating a contract extension with Nico Schlotterbeck. He must also address the already announced departures of Julian Brandt, Niklas Süle, and Salih Özcan, as well as monitor the expiring contracts of Karim Adeyemi, Marcel Sabitzer, and Ramy Bensebaini (all in 2027). Although he previously rejected offers from Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke 04 and extended his contract at Elversberg, he has now made the early move to Dortmund.