Austria midfielder Sabitzer swaps Bayern for Dortmund

Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer has joined Borussia Dortmund on a four-year deal from arch-rivals Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga runners-up said on Monday.

The clubs did not disclose financial details, but German media reported that the 29-year-old signed with Dortmund in a deal worth 19 million euros ($21.05 million).

Sabitzer, who has 71 international caps and is Austria's vice-captain, joined Bayern from RB Leipzig in 2021 before getting loaned to Premier League side Manchester United in February.

"I can't wait to finally join the team and wear the BVB jersey. The discussions with Dortmund's managers were excellent and showed me how ambitious the club wants to be in the coming years," Sabitzer said in a statement.

"I would like to do my part to ensure that BVB achieves its goals and that it has every reason to celebrate something special with its fans again as soon as possible."

Sabitzer scored and assisted twice in 54 appearances at Bayern, while at United, he netted three times and registered one assist in 18 games.

"Marcel is an experienced player who has been playing at the top international level for years. He fits exactly the profile we were looking for...," Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said.

"Marcel is physically strong and also exudes a lot of goal threat. We are convinced that his personality will also become an important pillar of the team and that he will help us to become even more effective in hard-fought games."

Bayern secured their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title dramatically on the last match of the season in May, snatching the trophy from Dortmund, who were hunting for their first German top-flight title in 11 years.

($1 = 0.9024 euros)