Borussia Dortmund nab Hazard brother in rival club invasion

Borussia Dortmund has nabbed Belgium international Thorgan Hazard from rival Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in what is as seen as a revamp to give the team a stable squad to compete with league rivals, Bayern Munich who carried the Bundesliga title the eighth time in a row.

The 26-year-old midfielder younger brother of Chelsea’s Eden has signed a five-year deal for a reported £30m after five years stay in Gladbach and will join forces with Paco Alcacer, Mario Götze, Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho in a fearsome frontline.

Dortmund has also invaded another fellow side for Germany midfielder Julian Brandt who has also signed for them, from Bayer Leverkusen, on a five-year deal. The fee for Brandt, a Germany international, is understood to be €25m (£22.1m) and the 23-year-old forward has signed a contract which will see him at the club until 2024.

Lucien Favre’s side finished as runners-up in Bundesliga, two points behind champions Bayern Munich and with such an investment it is expected that the pressure will be more felt. In the meanwhile, the league winners have had the attacking duo of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery exit the club in a tearful bid.

The budding Hazard scored 10 goals and registered 12 assists as Monchengladbach finished fifth in the league in the ended season.

“Now was exactly the right time to take the next step in my career,” he said.

A former Chelsea youth player, Hazard spent five years at Monchengladbach. He has won 21 caps for Belgium and was part of the squad that finished third at last year’s World Cup. His form this season had seen him linked with a move to Liverpool and Arsenal.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said: “He has consistently demonstrated his class over the course of the past few years.”

Brandt, 23, made 43 appearances for Leverkusen last season, scoring 10 goals.

“I am a person who sometimes decides things from the gut and for whom a good feeling is important,” Brandt told the club website. “In the case of Borussia Dortmund, I have a very good feeling.

“One of the main reasons for my change is that BVB narrowly missed the title last season, so there is room for improvement.”

Dortmund has already signed Nico Schulz from Hoffenheim for £22m and Mateu Morey from Barcelona on a free. They have sold Christian Pulisic to Chelsea for £58m.

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