Naldo departs Bremen for Wolves

Werder Bremen have announced defender Naldo has left the club and will join Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg.

Werder coach Klaus Allofs explained that he had done his utmost to persuade the Brazil international to extend his stay at the Weserstadion, but that the centre-back is now poised to sign a four-year contract.

“We had some great times together,” Allofs told the club’s official website.

“That’s why we assured him that we would approve a transfer if the conditions were right for him and for Werder Bremen.

“Of course we wanted to extend Naldo’s contract, but we could not compete with the offer from Wolfsburg.”

And the 29-year-old said he thought long and hard before bringing an end to his seven-year stay in Bremen.

“The decision was not easy for me,” Naldo said.

“It was really difficult to leave. I had a lot of success with Werder.

“The club and the fans really grew in my heart. But the offer from Wolfsburg was really very good. Now I have the chance to stay in the Bundesliga. That was important for me and my family.”

Naldo, who has been capped four times by his country, joined Werder from Brazilian outfit Juventude in 2005.