Kennedy Okpala: Dynamo Dresden linked with SC Paderborn striker

German-Nigerian forward Kennedy Okpala is being linked with a move from Bundesliga club SC Paderborn to 2. Bundesliga side Dynamo Dresden.

The 21-year-old centre-forward joined Paderborn from SV Waldhof Mannheim on 2 January 2026 in a deal worth €550,000. The reported likelihood of a transfer to Dresden is 97 per cent, with the proposed move taking Okpala from Germany’s top flight to the second tier.

Okpala has yet to make an appearance for Paderborn in the 2026-27 Bundesliga campaign or the DFB-Pokal. He remains listed as a Paderborn player, with his market value recorded at €1.5m.

Born in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Okpala holds German and Nigerian nationality. He came through Mannheim’s academy before making his senior move to the club in 2023, and helped SV Waldhof Mannheim win the Baden Cup during the 2025-26 season.

The forward’s current spell at Paderborn has lasted less than a year, and the potential move to Dresden would represent another change of club in his early senior career. No transfer has been confirmed, but the rumour points to a possible switch within German football before the end of the current transfer window.