Greek international attacking midfielder Giannis Konstantelias has signed a four-year contract with German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund after undergoing medical tests on Sunday, completing the most expensive player sale in the history of PAOK FC.
Only official announcements remain to finalize the transfer, which will see the 23-year-old move to Germany on an annual salary exceeding 3 million euros.
However, news of the departure sparked intense backlash among supporters in Thessaloniki. Fans staged a symbolic occupation of the administrative offices at Toumba Stadium from Sunday afternoon until the early hours of Monday morning, demanding explanations from PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis.
Transfer timeline and negotiations
Dortmund renewed their interest in Konstantelias at the beginning of August, following international reports linking the player with several major European clubs.
Negotiations accelerated on Saturday evening when German newspaper Bild reported that Dortmund had established direct contact with the player's representatives, presenting the move as a concrete initiative rather than a tentative inquiry.
PAOK and Dortmund reached a final agreement on Sunday morning. Shortly after terms were struck, Konstantelias boarded a private jet to Germany, where he passed his medical evaluation later that afternoon before signing his contract.
Record fee and future sell-on terms
Under the agreed terms, PAOK will receive a guaranteed initial fee of 28 million euros for the transfer. The deal also includes up to 2 million euros in goal-achievement bonuses, bringing the potential total value of the sale to 30 million euros.
In addition, the Greek club has retained a 17.5 percent sell-on clause, securing a share of future profits should Dortmund transfer Konstantelias again in the future.
The transaction marks the largest sale in the history of PAOK, a major Greek football club based in Thessaloniki and traditionally known as the Double-headed Eagle. For 23-year-old Konstantelias, the move represents a major step forward into one of Europe's top leagues.
