Konstantelias completes Dortmund medical and signs contract as PAOK fans protest at Toumba

Transfer reaches final stages

Giannis Konstantelias, the 23-year-old PAOK attacking midfielder, arrived in Dortmund by private flight shortly after noon on Sunday, 16 August 2026, to finalise his transfer to Borussia Dortmund. According to NewsIT, he underwent the required medical examinations and signed a contract with the German club, making him a Dortmund player pending only official announcements. He informed Dortmund's management that he needed to return to Thessaloniki on the evening of 16 August, as his newborn daughter, hospitalised since 8 August, was scheduled to be discharged from the clinic on the morning of Monday, 17 August. After attending to family matters, Konstantelias was expected to travel back to Germany to join Dortmund's training sessions.

German journalist Florian Plettenberg reported on X that a verbal agreement had been reached between Dortmund and Konstantelias, but that the two clubs had not yet reached a definitive agreement. He estimated the transfer fee at approximately €25 to €30 million plus a sell-on percentage for PAOK. Patrick Berger of Sky Sport Germany similarly noted that final negotiations between the two clubs were ongoing, with no full agreement yet in place. Konstantelias became Dortmund's Plan B after the collapse of their pursuit of Said El Mala.

Fee structure and negotiation process

According to in.gr and NewsIT, Dortmund offered PAOK €28 million upfront plus €2 million in performance-related bonuses, with PAOK retaining a sell-on percentage for any future transfer. NEWS 24/7 reported that the total package, including bonuses and other provisions, could exceed €30 million. Negotiations reportedly began about a month earlier, conducted quietly away from public attention. Maria Gontsareva, described as a close collaborator of PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis, played a central and decisive role alongside the player's representative, with the two sides examining all parameters of a potential agreement step by step.

Savvidis's promise and last year's rejected offer

A year earlier, Konstantelias had been close to joining Stuttgart, with an offer of approximately €18 million. Savvidis decided to keep the player at PAOK for the club's centenary season, viewing him as one of the team's most important sporting assets. According to sources cited by NEWS 24/7, Savvidis had given Konstantelias a clear commitment: if a genuinely large offer from a top European club arrived and the player wanted to take the next step, the club would not stand in his way. One year later, those preconditions materialised with Dortmund's approach.

Fan backlash at Toumba

The transfer provoked anger among PAOK supporters. A section of organized fans gathered outside Toumba stadium around 13:00 on Saturday, demanding a meeting with Savvidis or a club official. Organized fan groups issued a statement on Saturday evening opposing the sale, declaring "patience is over, enough with the mockery" and holding Savvidis directly responsible for the decision. The statement referenced "the calvary of the 100 years" continuing.

In a video posted on social media, Konstantelias addressed PAOK supporters via video call:

I love PAOK, I love you. Don't think about it, really, I love you very much.