# Joane Gadou
**Joane Gadou** (full name Kouakou Henry-Joane Aaron Aimerick Gadou, born 2007 in Aubervilliers, France) is a French professional footballer who plays as a center-back for [Borussia Dortmund](https://www.edgepedia.org/borussia-dortmund) in the [Bundesliga](https://www.edgepedia.org/bundesliga).[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) • [2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577) A product of the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy, he moved to FC Salzburg in 2024 and joined Dortmund in July 2026 on a contract running to 2031.[3](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2007, Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), France; holds French and Ivorian citizenship[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) |
| Position | Right-footed center-back, 1.95 m tall[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577) |
| Youth career | ES Nangissienne (2013–2020), Paris Saint-Germain (2020–2024); French U-19 champion 2024[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) |
| Salzburg | September 2024 to June 2026; 55 competitive first-team appearances, including 40 in the Austrian Bundesliga[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) |
| Borussia Dortmund | Signed 12 May 2026, joined 1 July 2026, contract until 2031, shirt number 22; reported fee €19.5 million[3](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354) • [4](https://www.borussia.fr/joueurs/joane-gadou/) |
| International | France U-17 runner-up at the 2023 European Championship; captain at the 2024 U-17 European Championship; 8 U-19 caps and 3 U-21 (Espoirs) caps[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) • [5](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10679-gadou-joane/fiche.html) |
| Agent | Smartalent[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577) |
## Youth career at Paris Saint-Germain
Gadou began playing at ES Nangis ([Seine-et-Marne](https://www.edgepedia.org/seine-et-marne)) before joining Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 13 in 2020.[6](https://en.psg.fr/teams/first-team/content/joane-gadou-paris-saint-germain-joins-rb-salzburg-2024-2025) With PSG's youth teams he won the French U-19 championship in 2024, where his physical presence, composure on the ball, and leadership qualities drew attention.[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html)
His European youth performances brought wider notice. He was handed his U-19 debut in late 2022 and featured in PSG's UEFA Youth League campaigns of 2022/23 and 2023/24; in the 2022/23 last 16 his side was beaten 6-5 on penalties by Borussia Dortmund, and the following season he played the full 90 minutes of both PSG's group games against the same club.[7](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/who-is-joane-gadou-borussia-dortmund-teenage-defender-psg-salzburg-37355) Those displays caught the eye of first-team head coach [Luis Enrique](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-enrique), who named Gadou in his squad for a [Coupe de France](https://www.edgepedia.org/coupe-de-france) tie with US Revel in January 2024.[7](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/who-is-joane-gadou-borussia-dortmund-teenage-defender-psg-salzburg-37355)
## FC Salzburg
In September 2024 Gadou moved to Austrian champion FC Salzburg, a transfer recorded at €10 million by a Dortmund supporters' statistics site.[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) • [4](https://www.borussia.fr/joueurs/joane-gadou/) He made 55 competitive appearances for the Salzburg first team: 40 in the Austrian Bundesliga, seven in the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league), four in [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) qualifying, and four in the domestic cup, plus [UEFA Youth League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-youth-league) matches and one second-division game for FC Liefering, Salzburg's feeder club.[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html)
His international breakthrough moment came at the 2025 [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup), where he played in all three of Salzburg's group games.[3](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354) In the 22 June 2025 group match against Al Hilal in Washington, DC, he played the full match, recovered 6 balls, completed 89% of his passes, and made two shot blocks in a game Salzburg finished without conceding.[8](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-salzburgo-tiene-al-central-del-futuro-el-madrid-y-europa-atentos-n/)
## Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund announced the signing on 12 May 2026, five days after defender [Niklas Süle](https://www.edgepedia.org/niklas-sule) announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the season.[3](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354) The transfer fee was reported as €19.5 million, and Gadou joined on 1 July 2026 with the number 22 and a contract until 2031.[4](https://www.borussia.fr/joueurs/joane-gadou/) • [1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) BVB Managing Director for Sport Lars Ricken said the club had followed him since his PSG years and expected him to "take on a key role right from the start of the new season."[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html)
He made his Bundesliga debut on 29 August 2026 against [Hamburger SV](https://www.edgepedia.org/hamburger-sv), aged 19 years and 224 days, and started every one of Dortmund's first five league matches of the 2026/27 season.[9](https://theanalyst.com/players/9221/joane-gadou) He also appeared in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup loss to Bayern Munich on 22 August 2026 and in a Champions League match on 8 September 2026.[10](https://datencenter.dfb.de/datencenter/personen/joane-gadou/spieler)
## International career
Gadou has progressed through France's youth national teams since 2022, starting with four U-16 friendly caps that year.[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) • [5](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10679-gadou-joane/fiche.html) He was part of the France squad that finished runner-up at the 2023 U-17 European Championship, and at the following year's U-17 European Championship he led Les Bleus onto the pitch as team captain.[1](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html) According to the [French Football Federation](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-football-federation), his youth record stands at 14 U-17 caps with 1 goal, 4 U-18 caps, 8 U-19 caps, and 3 caps for the Espoirs (U-21) side in 2027 UEFA U21 Championship qualification.[5](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10679-gadou-joane/fiche.html)
## Playing style
Gadou is a 1.95 m right-footed center-back valued for aerial power and build-up play.[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577) • [3](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354) A scouting report on ball-fighting center backs ranked him first in that category with a score of 81.3 out of 100, citing high activity rates in aerial play and recovery, and estimated his value to a major club at up to €25 million while still under 19.[11](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/9f3dba39d54827bf0e94343fe9774d9cd15895ae.pdf) Spanish sports daily AS described him during the 2025 Club World Cup as strong in duels and effective at playing the ball out under pressure.[8](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-salzburgo-tiene-al-central-del-futuro-el-madrid-y-europa-atentos-n/)
Sources differ slightly on his height: the [German Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/german-football-league) and Transfermarkt list 1.95 m, while the French Football Federation lists 194 cm.[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577) • [5](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10679-gadou-joane/fiche.html)
## References
1. [Joane Gadou #22, Official Player Profile, BVB.de](https://www.bvb.de/de/en/teams/football/player/joane-gadou.html)
2. [Joane Gadou, Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/joane-gadou/profil/spieler/1075577)
3. [Borussia Dortmund sign teenage centre-back Joane Gadou from Red Bull Salzburg, Bundesliga.com](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/borussia-dortmund-sign-joane-gadou-salzburg-france-37354)
4. [Joane Gadou, Borussia.fr](https://www.borussia.fr/joueurs/joane-gadou/)
5. [Joane GADOU, Fédération Française de Football](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10679-gadou-joane/fiche.html)
6. [Joane Gadou joins RB Salzburg, Paris Saint-Germain](https://en.psg.fr/teams/first-team/content/joane-gadou-paris-saint-germain-joins-rb-salzburg-2024-2025)
7. [Joane Gadou: Who is Borussia Dortmund's new teenage centre-back?, Bundesliga.com](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/who-is-joane-gadou-borussia-dortmund-teenage-defender-psg-salzburg-37355)
8. [El Salzburgo tiene al central del futuro, AS.com](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-salzburgo-tiene-al-central-del-futuro-el-madrid-y-europa-atentos-n/)
9. [Joane Gadou, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/9221/joane-gadou)
10. [Joane Gadou, Spielerprofil, DFB Datencenter](https://datencenter.dfb.de/datencenter/personen/joane-gadou/spieler)
11. [Ball-Fighting Centre Backs scouting report](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/9f3dba39d54827bf0e94343fe9774d9cd15895ae.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › French footballers born 1995 onward › Defenders and goalkeepers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license