Bundesliga
Germany star Brandt joins Dortmund
Germany star Julian Brandt has joined Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal, bringing an end to his five-and-half year spell with Bayer Leverkusen.
Brandt, 23, has emerged as one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga and beyond since joining Die Werkself from boyhood club Wolfsburg in January 2014. He was one of the driving forces behind Bayer's successful bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19, providing seven goals and no fewer than 11 assists during a standout campaign.
"I'm the kind of guy who follows his gut, and in the case of Borussia Dortmund I had a really good feeling," Brandt explained. "I want to develop, and that's one of the main reasons for moving.
"Dortmund went really close to winning the title, so there's room for improvement. There's a lot to look forward to, I'm very motivated and optimistic about my own development, but above all about the whole team."
Brandt's world-class potential was apparent when he was still playing for the Wolves' youth teams. He lifted the U19 Bundesliga title shortly after his 17th birthday in 2013, scoring 14 goals and teeing up 14 more, which saw him awarded the U17 Fritz Walter silver medal behind Timo Werner, now of RB Leipzig. The following year, he won gold in the U18 category, having helped Germany to win the European U19 championship.
Brandt has represented Die Mannschaft at every youth level from U15 to U21 – he also struck Olympic silver at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro – and made his senior debut in May 2016, getting his first goal a year later in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against San Marino. He has won 24 caps for Germany, lifting the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017.
In total, he made over 200 appearances for Leverkusen, including 165 in the Bundesliga, and had a hand in no fewer than 93 goals for the club in all competitions.
Watch: Brandt's flicks, tricks, skills and goals
"Although Julian Brandt has already been around for a good while in the Bundesliga and collected plenty of experience internationally, he's still only a very young player at 23 with a lot of developmental potential," said Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc. "He can play in a variety of attacking positions and will enhance our game with his creativity."
Brandt is Dortmund's third signing of the close season after Germany left-back Nico Schulz and Borussia Mönchengladbach's Thorgan Hazard.