Bundesliga
Germany international Robin Gosens will play in the Bundesliga for the first time after Union Berlin sealed the left-back's return to his homeland.
Gosens joins Union having spent the past six seasons in Italy's Serie A, representing both Atalanta and Inter.
Now back in Germany, Gosens is excited to be home and could make his Bundesliga debut when Union get their 2023/24 campaign underway against Mainz on Sunday, which would end a long wait for the left-sided player to be handed a German top-flight bow.
"I have always said that it is my dream to play in Germany and the Bundesliga one day,” Gosens told the Union website. “The last few years at Union have been impressive, and people abroad have noticed that. I felt a lot of appreciation and trust in the talks with the club's officials, so the decision wasn't difficult for me. Now I am looking forward to the new challenge and to an extraordinary and exciting season."
The 29-year-old, who once had a trial with Borussia Dortmund, will finally get the chance to ply his trade as a professional in the country of his birth, having swapped Germany for Holland, and Vitesse Arnhem, as a teenager in 2012.
He has since gone on to chalk up more than 300 first-team appearances and earned 16 caps for Germany, scoring twice for the national team.
Gosens twice lifted the Coppa Italia with Inter, as well as the Italian Super Cup, and brings a wealth of UEFA Champions League experience to Union as they embark on their first season in the competition.
The Emmerich-native has played in the competition 28 times, with his last outing coming in the 2022/23 final as Inter came up narrowly short against Manchester City in the showpiece.
"In Robin, we have been able to sign a player who stands for commitment, mentality and team spirit," said Oliver Ruhnert, head of the men's professional football department at Union.
"We were looking for these qualities and believe that we have gained an important rein forcement for our game with the signing of Robin. On and off the pitch, he should now play a leading role for us."