Real Madrid pleased to sign Sahin from Dortmund

May 9, 2011, 14:14 GMT

Dortmund, Germany/Madrid - Nuri Sahin will leave Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid after the season, the Turkey midfielder and the Spanish top club confirmed on Monday.

Sahin, 22, had a contract in Dortmund until 2013, but a clause in the deal which allowed him an earlier transfer for an estimated 10 million euros (14.3 million dollars).

Sahin is due to sign a six-year contract as the third player to join Real from the Bundesliga over the past 12 months, following Germany midfielders Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira.

'I have matured to a player who can prevail at Real,' said Sahin. 'It was a very difficult decision to leave this club. But Real are the greatest club on earth.'

Real's sporting director Miguel Pardeza said that coach Jose Mourinho 'has had a lot to do with the signing of Sahin ... We are pleased with this deal.'

Pardeza added that Real's intention 'is to bring in the best players that the market offers and that will adapt to the team. What we have done is bring in a good player, one that has been important for Borussia Dortmund.'

The Germany-born Sahin, who unlike Oezil decided to play international football for Turkey instead of Germany, came to Dortmund in 2005. He was the youngest player to debut in the Bundesliga at age 16, and to score goal in the league, less than three months after turning 17.

Sahin played 135 Bundesliga matches for Dortmund and scored 13 goals. The playmaker was instrumental in the seventh national title for the club with six goals and eight assists and his last match will be Saturday's Bundesliga finale against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dortmund have already signed a potential successor for Sahin in Ilkay Guendogan, who comes from league rivals Nuremberg.

Pardeza refused to either confirm or deny that Real's next transfer targets are Bayern Munich and Turkey midfielder Hamit Altintop and Espanyol striker Jose Callejon.

According to Spanish media reports, the whites are also interested in Athletic Bilbao's international striker Fernando Llorente.

Real have spent more than 400 million euros on new players since Florentino Perez returned as president in 2009.

They won the King's Cup this season, their first trophy since 2008, but were beaten in the Champions League semi-finals by Barcelona, who are also poised to clinch their third straight Spanish Liga title ahead of Real.

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