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| Julian Brandt |
Borussia Dortmund pulled off a transfer coup on Wednesday, snatching gifted international midfielder Julian Brandt from the grasp of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Brandt, 23, lured from Bayer Leverkusen, joins new signing Thorgan Hazard, the younger brother of Chelsea star Eden, at the club who also snapped up German international defender Nico Schulz, in a transfer blitz.
Brandt, already an established international with 24 caps, signed a five-year, 25-million-euro deal ($27.9 million) that will keep him at Dortmund until 2024, the club said on its website.
Despite the attention of Bayern Munich, Brandt said he followed his gut in joining ambitious Dortmund.
โI am someone who sometimes follows his instincts and for me a good feeling is important,โ he said. โAnd I had a good feeling about Borussia Dortmund.โ
The club finished just two points behind Bayern in a tense end to a brilliant title battle. Brandt said he was drawn by the fact that Dortmund would be fighting to go one better next season.
โI want to progress and Dortmund just missed the title, so there is room for progress,โ he said.
Club sports director Michael Zorc paid tribute to Brandt as a โprofessional with a lot of room for development.โ
Earlier in the day, the club confirmed the signing of Hazard on a five-year deal from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The 26-year-old winger announced in April that he was joining Dortmund, with only the details of the transfer to sort out.
โI am grateful for five great years at Borussia Moenchengladbach and the wonderful memories,โ said Hazard in a statement on Dortmundโs website. โNow was exactly the right point in time to take the next step in my career.โ
Germanyโs top-selling daily Bild said the transfer should cost about 25 million euros plus add-ons.
The Belgium international scored 46 goals and provided 44 assists in 182 appearances for Gladbach.
โWe are very pleased that Thorgan was fully convinced about joining Borussia Dortmund,โ said Zorc.
โHe is an experienced Bundesliga professional and Belgian national player who will help us with his speed and the quality of his finishing. He has proven his class over the past few years.โ
Brandt and Hazard are joined at Dortmund by Schulz, a full-back who is beginning to establish himself as a first choice international, and arrives from Hoffenheim in a deal worth 27 million euros.
AFP
