Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel will join Borussia Dortmund from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian. The 29-year old will sign a four-year contract with the club. Dortmund will pay the release clause in the Belgian’s Tianjin contract.
Witsel came to China last summer from Zenit St.Petersburg and spent one season at Tianjin Quanjian. In that season, he played 47 matches across all competitions and scored 6 goals.
Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc was happy to welcome him to the club. Zorc said, “We’re very happy that he has chosen Borussia Dortmund. Axel is a player with a great deal of international experience who has all the skills to shape BVB’s central midfield: tactical understanding, tackling power, speed, and creativity.
Witsel said, “I’m totally happy and also proud to be allowed to play for BVB soon. After our first conversation, I did not have to think twice, because for me Borussia Dortmund is one of the best clubs on the continent.”
Witsel will be Dortmund’s 7th signing this summer after Marwin Hitz, Marius Wolf, Thomas Delaney, Eric Oelschlagel, Abdou Diallo and Achraf Hakimi.
Axel Witsel has been a regular for the Belgium team since he made his debut in 2008. He has played 96 matches so far, scoring 9 goals. Witsel played a crucial role in Belgium’s third place finish at the World Cup this summer. He started in 6 of Belgium’s 7 matches of the tournament. The only match which he did not play was Belgium’s final group game against England.
