Benfica complete €20m Weigl capture from Dortmund

Benfica have completed the €20million signing of Julian Weigl from Borussia Dortmund on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The two clubs confirmed a fee had been agreed on December 31, with the deal now complete following Benfica’s announcement to Portugal’s Securities Market Commission.

Weigl, 24, joined Dortmund from 1860 Munich in 2015 and initially settled well, spending most of his first three seasons in the starting XI.

During that time he was reported to have become a target for many of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain said to have been enamoured of his eye-catching style of play and passing ability.

Liebe BVB-Familie,
Ich danke euch für die tolle Zeit!
Ich habe hier Freunde fürs Leben gefunden, meinen ersten Titel gefeiert und durfte die Liebe der BVB-Fans spüren!
Es gab viele Höhen und es gab auch Tiefen, durch die ich gereift bin. Von Herzen DANKE!  #newchapter pic.twitter.com/2Ntw9dnvnF

— Julian Weigl (@JuWeigl) January 2, 2020

He fell somewhat out of favour last season and, although he started 12 of Dortmund’s 17 Bundesliga games this term, sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed Weigl asked to leave.

The Germany international has signed on until 2024 and Benfica confirmed his contract contains a €100m release clause.

Benfica sit top of the Primeira Liga with 39 points from 14 matches

 Bem-vindo, @JuWeigl ! #PeloBenfica

— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) January 2, 2020