Borussia Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken has confirmed that Julian Brandt will leave the club on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Ricken broke the news to Sky Germany after Dortmund defeated 1. FC Köln in the Saturday evening Bundesliga Topspiel, with both Ricken and BVB head coach Niko Kovac confirming the decision.
Ricken’s statement on Julian Brandt
“There have been open discussions, after which we agreed that the expiring contract would not be extended,” Ricken told Sky Germany “He has played a few hundred games for Borussia Dortmund [almost 300 to be precise]. I think we can only be grateful to him; he played for us for seven years.
“He collected another assist today,” Ricken continued. “I loved his what he put together here. I think he’ll be 30 in a few weeks now. We can reorient ourselves a bit. So in that respect, it could be an opportunity for both sides.”
