Dante to Wolfsburg: Latest Transfer Details, Comments and Reaction

Dante is heading to Wolfsburg after they reached an agreement with German champions Bayern Munich on Sunday for the talented veteran defender. 

"The centre-back requested to be released from his contract with FC Bayern, and the club has granted the request," Bayern revealed. "Dante will complete the obligatory pre-transfer medical in Wolfsburg and will then sign a three-year contract with the DFB Cup holders." 

FC Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also provided a statement on the team website:

"

Dante simply wanted the chance to play regularly. We did not want to deny him this opportunity.

We would like to thank Dante. FC Bayern enjoyed great success in his time at the club, with many wonderful moments and trophies. We’ve also come to know and value Dante as a very agreeable and likeable person. We wish him all the best for the future.

"

The 31-year-old central defender always possessed a lot of talent, but it wasn't until the past couple of years that he developed into one of the most reliable centre-backs in Europe. The potential he never played up to in early stops such as Lille finally came to fruition in Germany.

He made major strides during his time with Borussia Monchengladbach before heading to Munich, where he played a key role and helped the Bavarians win the treble three seasons ago. He's continued to show good form during the last couple of campaigns, appearing in 133 matches across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Although Dante continued to play well, his value was likely to start decreasing moving forward, as Bayern are one of the deepest clubs in Europe. So it made sense to move him while he could still command a sizable transfer fee.

The biggest key for Dante is getting himself acclimated to his new surroundings quickly, and his experience in the Bundesliga should enable him to adapt quickly at Wolfsburg. He found his comfort zone with Bayern over the past few years, which led to him getting more opportunities with the Brazilian national team, including a reserve role at the World Cup.

It's a move that comes as a surprise, though, since Dante signed a contract extension through the 2017 campaign. At the time, Liam Prenderville of the Daily Mirror passed along comments the defender made to the club's official website about staying with Bayern:

"It was the best decision of my life to come to Bayern. Everything here is good: the club, the team, the title wins, the mood. Bavaria is the right club for me. Therefore, I remain very happy to stay at least until 2017 in Munich. I am sure we can still have a lot of fun and success with our team in the coming years."

Clearly, something changed over time and led to the transfer, as the Brazil international fell down the pecking order. Now, Dante must reset himself mentally after seemingly being happy at the Allianz Arena. It makes the mental hurdle more of a concern than the physical one at the outset.

That said, his play with Bayern Munich suggests he should have little trouble attaining success once he does settle in. What he lacks in pace, he makes up for in experience, physicality and distribution ability from the back to serve as a reliable option.

All told, Dante should live up to what will likely be high expectations. It might take a little time before he showcases top form, though.