Dortmund confirm Witsel signing
Borussia Dortmund have announced that Axel Witsel is set to join the club from Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian.
Axel Witsel's move to Borussia Dortmund from Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian is set to go through within a few days, the Bundesliga club have announced. Dortmund have triggered an exit clause in Witsel's contract that is widely reported to be €20 million.
The 29-year-old has agreed to join Dortmund on a four-year contract and has joined up with the side at their training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. The transfer will be completed via the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) in the next few days.
"After the World Cup, I was determined to transfer back to Europe. I am really happy and also proud that I will soon be able to play for BVB," Witsel told bvb.de and added:
"I didn’t have to think about it for very long after our first discussion because Borussia Dortmund is one of the best clubs on the continent in my opinion. I honestly cannot wait to run out in front of 81,000 people."
Borussia Dortmund’s Sporting Director Michael Zorc said:
"We have been very interested in bringing Axel to the club for a number of months now and are really happy that he has opted for Borussia Dortmund. Axel is a player of great international experience who brings all the qualities required to make a mark on the BVB midfield: tactical awareness, strength when challenging for the ball, pace, creativity, and mentality."
The 29-year-old central midfielder has previously played for Standard Liege, Benfica, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Tianjin Quanjian. He made the move to China in January 2017.