Sebastian Rode to Borussia Dortmund: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rode on a four-year deal.
Dortmund confirmed the deal on Monday (via the Daily Mail's Matt Hermann), and Rode will make the move to Signal Iduna Park after an uneventful two-year spell at the Allianz Arena.
The 25-year-old joins the Black and Yellows as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who recently headed to Manchester City after signing a four-year contract to play at the Etihad Stadium.
TOP NEWS
Jude, Barco Got Heated After Semi
Messi, Argentina Shock England in Semifinal 😱
World Cup Semifinals W/Ls 🎭
German newspaper Kicker reported last week that Rode's move would cost Borussia Dortmund somewhere in the region of €10-15 million (£8-12 million) despite his lack of prominence at Bayern (h/t ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld).
Rode can look forward to seeing a boost in first-team opportunities under new manager Thomas Tuchel, bringing an end to his forgettable Bayern tenure, during which he made just 11 Bundesliga starts.
The midfielder previously told Goal's Andreas Konigl of his attempt to move on in the search of playing time and revealed Carlo Ancelotti's managerial predecessor, Pep Guardiola, barely spoke to him. Rode said the end of his time at the Allianz was "not a pleasant situation," but Dortmund could bring quick improvements.
Rode is yet to make his senior debut for Germany but can hope more involvement at the Westfalenstadion will give him the tools necessary to impress national team manager Joachim Low.
The anchor was regarded as a key figure at Eintracht Frankfurt before he left the club on a free transfer two years ago, and a move to Dortmund could see him regain that sense of importance.
Bayern will consider the Rode experiment fine business on their end despite his modest playing return, given they signed the player for nothing but have now sold his services for a decent figure.
It's now up to Rode to prove Bayern were wrong not to hand him more chances while under their employ, and he'll get the chance to face his former club in the DFL-Supercup on August 14.
