Julien Duranville

The 17-year-old attacker has been under contract with Borussia Dortmund since January 2023. He previously played for RSC Anderlecht in Belgium and made one appearance for BVB byJune 2023 (deadline for all information).

BVB's investment in the future: Sebastian Kehl's assessment

“We're delighted that Julien and his family have great faith in us. Julien is a fast, technically strong and creative winger in whom we see great potential,” said BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl on one of the last days of January 2023, adding: ”We want to work together to leverage this potential and drive his development forward - just as we have proven several times in the past with young talents. Our main focus is on integrating Julien into our professional squad and the new environment as quickly as possible and gradually introducing him to the level of the Bundesliga.”

Experience from Belgium: Duranville's career to date

The youngster had already played six games for 34-time Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht in the Jupiler Pro League. He made his first appearance for Anderlecht in the Belgian first division 17 days after his 16th birthday and scored his first goal in the second game, from the left corner of the penalty area into the left-hand corner. A fast and tricky striker - so fast and so tricky that they call him “L'Éclair”, the lightning bolt, at home. Many clubs were interested in him, but BVB won the contract.

A promising Bundesliga debut: Julien Duranville's first appearance

On matchday 34 of the 2022/23 season, he made his Bundesliga debut as a substitute in the home match against Mainz. Historically, only Youssoufa Moukoko and Nuri Sahin were younger at BVB when they made their first appearances.

BVB enthusiasm from afar: Duranville's attachment to the club

Julien Duranville had his first contact with Borussia Dortmund a good eight years earlier, in the autumn of 2014. When BVB - with Mats Hummels and Sebastian Kehl - played the Champions League match at RSC Anderlecht, Julien Duranville was ... a child mascot! Since then, Belgium's most talented young footballer has watched BVB and followed with interest how top talents such as Ousmane Dembélé and Jadon Sancho took the last big step in their sporting development in Dortmund. This encouraged him to want to take this path too.

“I think it's fantastic how young players are developed here. I've been a fan of Ousmane Dembélé since I was a little boy. I love the way he plays soccer and back then I really wanted to know which club was behind it. That's how I first really became aware of BVB. The final argument was Jadon Sancho. A great footballer and, like Dembélé and me, he's at home on the wing,” he told the members' magazine Borussia (April 2023 issue). The first few weeks at BVB were challenging. Because his father was looking after his two younger siblings, who were still at school, in his home country, Julien initially moved into a room in a hotel with his mother.”