Real Madrid seal deal for Sahin
Reuters - Monday 09 May 2011, 11:44
MADRID - Real Madrid signed Turkey
midfielder Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year
contract on Monday as coach Jose Mourinho began strengthening
his squad for next season.
Playmaker Sahin, 22, helped steer Dortmund to this season's
Bundesliga title and will join the La Liga giants as they seek
to end Barcelona's grip on the domestic title and chase a 10th
Champions League triumph.
While the clubs did not disclose how much Real agreed to
pay, his contract with Dortmund included a clause that allowed
him to leave if there was an offer of 10 million euros or more from outside Germany.
Sahin, who has missed his team's last three matches through
injury and is expected to be out for six weeks, said he was very
proud to make the move to the Spanish capital.
"The decision was hard to take. I am Borussia and will
remain Borussia," he told reporters.
YOUNGEST SCORER
German-born Sahin is both the youngest ever Bundesliga
player, making his debut in August 2005 aged 16 years and 355
days, and the youngest scorer, netting against Nuremberg three
months into his top-flight career.
He made his Turkey debut in 2005 in a 2-1 win over Germany
in Istanbul, becoming the youngest player to score for his
country when he made it 2-0.
"I will miss the Bundesliga and my homeland. I would like to
thank everyone who has accompanied me on this journey until
now," added Sahin, who has been at the club since the age of 12.
He played 135 matches for the German side and scored 13
goals, including six this season as Dortmund claimed their first
Bundesliga title since 2001/02.
Spanish media reported on Monday that Real were also looking
to buy Bayern Munich midfielder Hamit Altintop, another Turkish
international.
Sahin's arrival and the possible purchase of Altintop could
mean that Real midfielders Fernando Gago, Sergio Canales and
Pedro Leon, little used this season, will move on.