Dortmund Confirm Julien Duranville's Permanent Transfer to Olympique Lyon

Borussia DortmundTeam·Borussia Dortmund have officially confirmed the transfer of forward Julien DuranvillePlayer·Julien Duranville to French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyon. The move, which sees the Belgian international depart the German side permanently, is reported to be in the region of €8.5 million.

Duranville's departure was widely anticipated, bringing an end to an injury-plagued tenure at the Signal Iduna Park. He initially joined Borussia DortmundTeam·Borussia Dortmund in January 2023 from Belgian club Anderlecht, but his time in Germany was consistently hampered by a series of injuries. This limited his impact significantly, with the young forward making only 15 BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga appearances, nine in the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League, and a single outing in the DFB-Pokal. His sole competitive goal for the club came in the DFB-Pokal in August 2024.

The 20-year-old spent the latter half of the 2025/26 season on loan at Swiss side FC BaselTeam·Basel, where he began to regain form and fitness. During his spell in Switzerland, Duranville made a positive impression, contributing two goals and one assist in 16 Swiss Super League appearances. This loan period signaled that he was considered surplus to manager Niko Kovač's requirements for the upcoming season.

Borussia DortmundTeam·Borussia Dortmund's managing director for sport, Lars Ricken, acknowledged Duranville's time at the club. "We thank Juju for three and a half years in black and yellow and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career, as well as all the best to him and his family," Ricken stated.

For Borussia DortmundTeam·Borussia Dortmund, the transfer is unlikely to have significant negative competition implications. The club concluded the 2025/26 BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga season in a strong second place, securing 73 points from 22 wins, 7 draws, and 5 losses. This impressive performance ensures their qualification for the 2026-2027 Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League league phase. Dortmund also reached the Round of 16 in the DFB-Pokal and the knockout phase play-offs in the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League, alongside a quarter-final appearance in the FIFA Club World CupCompetition·FIFA Club World Cup, where they were defeated by Real MadridTeam·Real Madrid. With Duranville's limited availability due to injuries, the club has largely operated without his consistent presence. The move aligns with Dortmund's reported squad revamp as they aim to challenge Bayern MunichTeam·Bayern Munich for the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga title in the 2026/27 season.