Max is Back: VfL Wolfsburg lure attacker Philipp back to the Bundesliga
One day after suffering a gut-wrenching exit from the 2020/21 Europa League, Wolfsburg announced they have procured additional offensive assistance for their coming Bundesliga campaign.
Former Dortmund striker Maximilian Philipp will once again play in the Bundesliga after VfL Wolfsburg worked out a loan deal with Dynamo Moscow. Transfermarkt reports that the German Wolves will pay a loan fee of €2 million for the year-long arrangement. The possibility of a purchase option was not disclosed.
Philipp's name surfaced last week in connection with possible loan deals to either Frankfurt or Stuttgart. Earlier this week, the German international was said to prefer a move to Wolfsburg; a quick train trip from where his mother lives in Berlin.
Philipp was one the Bundesliga's most expensive outgoing players last summer when Dortmund sold him to the Russian club for €20 million. Though he did tally eight times in 20 league appearances for the "Musora" last season, he was said to have remained rather homesick and fell out of favor with his new coach.
"The year in Moscow has allowed me progress greatly in a sporting sense," Philipp is quoted as saying in a VfL press release, "but over the past months I've become increasing eager to return to the Bundesliga. I've always considered Wolfsburg a professionally managed club."
Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer hailed Philipp as "the top-class reinforcement we've been looking for." The former member of the Germany U21 European championship side already has 20 Bundesliga goals for in three top flight seasons for Dortmund and Freiburg.