Current manager Thomas Tuchel had been desperate to keep the 27-year-old as the club look to mount a serious domestic and European title challenge again next season. In the end I came to the decision to take on a new challenge for me, moreover, in my hometown, with my family and many friends that live there.
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The Bavarians are still smarting from last week’s defeat to Atletico Madrid, their third straight exit to Spanish opposition at the semi-final stage.
Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches arrived from Borussia Dortmund and SL Benfica, respectively, for fees reported to be around €35m.
Several national newspapers linked the 18-year-old Sanches with Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in the January transfer window.
Even though both Bayern and Dortmund didn’t reveal the transfer amount, Hummels has reportedly cost the former around 30 million pound ($43.2 million).
“We are pleased we have been able to sign him despite big-name worldwide competition”, he said.
On the contrary the 27 year old German star will bid farewell to a eight and a half year love story between him and Borussia Dortmund.
“I want to stress that he has always acted openly and fairly toward us”.
They have also bolstered their defence with the acquisition of Dortmund’s German global centre-back Hummels on a deal until 2021.
“Mats is one of the best central defender in the world”, Bayern Chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
Earlier, Hummels was quoted saying the statement Dortmund released was “misleading” and “sh*tty” as he believed that going back to Bayern Munich was not the only option as a number of other clubs across Europe are interested in his services.
The Dortmund centre-half was part of Germany’s World Cup winning squad in 2014.
The defensive midfielder has had a meteoric rise this season.
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It caps a remarkable season for Sanches, who only made his Benfica debut in October this season.
