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Borussia Dortmund have continued their recruitment drive with the signing of Salih Ozcan on a four-year deal, the club confirmed on Monday.
The midfielder joins from boyhood club Cologne, with German publication Kicker reporting Dortmund have paid a €5million release clause to land the 24-year-old.
Dortmund, who parted company with head coach Marco Rose at the end of a Bundesliga season in which they finished eight points adrift of champions Bayern Munich, have been busy freshening up their squad ahead of a fresh assault on the title next term.
With Erling Haaland departing for Manchester City, Dortmund acted quickly to bring in Karim Adeyemi from Salzburg, while Niklas Sule signed on a free from Bayern and Nico Schlotterbeck arrived from Freiburg.
“Cologne are my hometown club and I owe them a great deal,” Ozcan told Dortmund’s official website.
“There are very few clubs I would’ve left my town for. Borussia Dortmund’s energy, which one can literally feel, plus the opportunity to play regularly in the Champions League, ultimately led me to my decision.
“I’m very happy to be able to continue my development at BVB in front of more than 81,000 spectators and to help the team in the Bundesliga and the Champions League with my style of football. I’m very ambitious and willing to give everything to this end.”
Ozcan spent 15 years with Cologne, making 95 top-flight appearances and was part of the 2018-19 side that won promotion from the second tier.
The move will give Dortmund more options in midfield after Axel Witsel left following four seasons at Signal Iduna Park.
“Salih Ozcan was one of the rising stars of this last Bundesliga season and made a key contribution to Cologne’s successful season in central defensive midfield,” Dortmund’s soon-to-be sporting director Sebastian Kehl added.
“He is a player who is incredibly strong in the tackle and the air. Someone who is prepared to do the dirty work and is uncompromising in his bid to help his team succeed.
“His mentality and physicality, coupled with his intelligence, will do our team good,” said BVB’s sporting director in waiting.”
