Borussia Dortmund sign former Man United loanee Marcel Sabitzer on four-year deal after Red Devils turn down permanent move for Austrian

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich, with the Austrian signing a deal until June 2027.

The move comes after Manchester United decided not to sign the midfielder on a permanent deal following his loan spell with the club last season. 

Instead, the 29-year-old moves to Dortmund in a deal worth a reported £16m and becomes the latest name to swap Bayern Munich for their Bundesliga rivals. 

‘I can’t wait to finally join the team and wear the BVB jersey.’ Sabitzer told the club’s official website following confirmation of the deal. 

‘The discussions with Borussia Dortmund’s managers were excellent and showed me how ambitious the club wants to be in the coming years. 

Dortmund shared the news of Sabitzer’s signing on their Twitter feed following the signing 

‘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 was drafted in by United in January as cover for the injured Christian Eriksen, on a loan deal from Bayern. 

He played 18 times in all competitions for the Red Devils, scoring three goals, before a knee injury put an end to his stint in Manchester with four games left of the season. 

United boss Erik ten Hag remained a admirer of Sabitzer but the club decided to go elsewhere and pursued a deal for Mason Mount to bolster their midfield. 

The Austrian international signed for Bayern from RB Leipzig in 2021, but only managed 54 appearances across two seasons with the German giants. 

Dortmund’s move for Sabizter will help fill the midfield void left by Jude Bellingham’s £113m move to Real Madrid and upon his signing sporting director Sebastian Kehl said:  ‘Marcel is an experienced player who has been playing at the top international level for years. 

Man Utd decided against signing Sabitzer on a permanent deal following loan spell 

Dortmund need midfield reinforcements following the departure of Jude Bellingham 

He fits exactly the profile we were looking for: a central midfielder who will strengthen us both defensively and offensively as a box-to-box player. 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.’ 

Sabitzer will join-up with his teammates on their USA tour this week, where he could end-up facing United when the pair meet in Las Vegas on Sunday.