Borussia Dortmund have announced that they have completed the signing of Wolfsburg midfielder Felix Nmecha.
Nmecha joins Dortmund for €30m and signs a contract at the club until 2028, Manchester United and Newcastle were previously interested in the German international. On his transfer to Dortmund, Nmecha said: “Borussia Dortmund is a great club that I have been following since I was a child. I am happy to be part of it now and to help the team achieve their goals in the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup and the Champions League. I hope the fans give me the chance to get to know me.”
Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl also commented on the arrival of the 22-year-old: “Felix Nmecha is a fast, technically savvy and physically strong player who will enrich our midfield through his profile both offensively and defensively. He enjoyed first-class training at Manchester City and played himself in the foreground in Wolfsburg last season. We are happy to have inspired another German national player for us and are convinced that Felix’s development is far from over.”
The midfielder is seen as the replacement for Jude Bellingham who joined Real Madrid last month. In his breakout season for Wolfsburg, Nmecha played 32 times and assisted six, his form for his club earned him a call-up to the German national team in March where he made his debut against Belgium.
The signing of Nmecha is surrounded by controversy, the 22-year-old is open about his Christian faith regularly sharing on social media but Nmecha has previously shared homophobic content, and transphobic content by US political commentator Matt Walsh.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and President Reinhold Lunow addressed this: “We are aware, that the upcoming transfer in recent days has also caused criticism due to two Internet postings that Felix shared. It was therefore important to us to talk to the player intensively about his faith and values. Felix is very young, his religion is deeply rooted in him and he is – like all of us – certainly not flawless. But he has absolutely convinced us in intensive conversations that he does not carry any transphobic or homophobic ideas. Felix himself stressed that he respects and loves all people, regardless of their skin colour, religion or sexual orientation.”
The midfielder has held talks with the management at Dortmund so he aligns with the club’s views however, the fans at Dortmund see the damage as already done and feel like the midfielder will not represent the club’s morals and views.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
