Borussia Dortmund: Kaua Prates Transfer Concerns, Dahoud Exit & Leverkusen Match Preview

Kaua Prates Transfer to BVB: A Curious Development

Borussia Dortmund's upcoming summer signing, Kaua Prates, is experiencing an unusual situation at his current club, Cruzeiro. Although the left-back is set to join BVB in the summer, he has seen virtually no playtime since his transfer was officially announced.

BVB confirmed in February the acquisition of the then 17-year-old talent. Prates will move from Brazilian first-division club Cruzeiro to Dortmund in August upon turning 18, with a transfer fee of twelve million Euros.

However, the period since the transfer confirmation has been marked by a peculiar development for Prates. His last appearance for Cruzeiro was on February 14th, shortly before the move became public. Since then, he has not played a single minute.

Despite being named in the squad for nine competitive matches since late February, the young Brazilian has not featured. This raises questions about whether BVB should be concerned that their twelve-million-euro signing might arrive in Dortmund lacking match practice.

Even before his transfer was announced, Prates was not a regular starter for Cruzeiro, but he did make three starts in January. In February, he only had two brief substitute appearances, each lasting seven minutes.

Prates is considered a promising left-back for the future at BVB and has signed a long-term contract until 2031. After his arrival in August, the plan is to integrate him carefully into the team.

A positive note for the young talent is that, unlike his club situation, he recently gained some match practice with the Brazilian U20 national team. In two 3-1 friendly victories against Paraguay's U20 selection in late March, Prates played 90 and 45 minutes respectively.

Mahmoud Dahoud to Leave Eintracht Frankfurt on Free Transfer

Former BVB player Mahmoud Dahoud will leave Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer this summer. The club announced on Tuesday that the midfielder's expiring contract will not be renewed.

Timmo Hardung, Eintracht Frankfurt's sporting director, acknowledged Dahoud's commitment: "Mo always put himself at the service of the team and behaved professionally with us. We thank him for his efforts over the past two seasons and wish him all the best for his future." Dahoud's next career move is still unknown, but it is reported that the 30-year-old has several options.

Dahoud played for Borussia Dortmund from 2017 to 2023, making 141 appearances and scoring five goals. In 2023, he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in England. After a six-month loan spell at VfB Stuttgart, Dahoud transferred to Frankfurt in the summer of 2024, where he failed to secure a permanent starting position. He made a total of 35 appearances for Eintracht, scoring three goals.

Bayer Leverkusen Hopes for Key Returns Ahead of Dortmund Clash

Bayer Leverkusen might see the return of two key players for their upcoming Bundesliga top-of-the-table clash against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Right-back Lucas Vazquez, who has been sidelined since late February due to a calf injury, has fully rejoined team training and could therefore be an option for the squad in Dortmund.

The same applies to center-back Jarell Quansah, who had to miss last weekend's 6-3 victory over Wolfsburg due to thigh problems. Leverkusen is hopeful for his swift comeback against BVB, although he initially trained individually on Tuesday.

Leverkusen is determined to gain points in Dortmund to avoid losing ground to direct rivals like Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Hoffenheim in the race for Champions League qualification. A victory against Leverkusen could mathematically secure a Champions League spot for BVB, provided that fifth-placed TSG Hoffenheim does not win their match in Augsburg the day before.

Borussia Dortmund's Upcoming Matches

Date	Match
April 11, 3:30 PM	BVB - Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
April 18, 3:30 PM	TSG Hoffenheim - BVB (Bundesliga)
April 26, 5:30 PM	BVB - SC Freiburg (Bundesliga)
May 3, 5:30 PM	Borussia Mönchengladbach - BVB (Bundesliga)