Pascal Gross Joins Borussia Dortmund From Brighton

Borussia Dortmund on Thursday announced the signing of German midfielder Pascal Gross from Premier League club, Brighton and Hove Albion on a two-year deal.

Gross’ transfer to his boyhood club, Dortmund, marks the conclusion of his seven-year spell at Albion, during which he made 261 appearances across all competitions.

According to German media, Dortmund has paid a fee of up to 10 million euros ($11 million), including bonuses, to sign the player.

A creative midfielder with an eye for goal, Gross joins the Champions League finalists after seven years with Brighton, having joined from German side FC Ingolstadt in 2017.

Gross, a Dortmund fan from childhood, said in a statement he “can’t wait to play alongside my new teammates”.

Dortmund director Lars Ricken described Gross as a “top performer” who would add “solidity and flexibility” to the team.

After Gross joined Brighton in 2017 from FC Ingolstadt, the German international became an invaluable player for several head coaches and was used in a variety of positions, but will now ply his trade back in his native country.

In his 228 Premier League appearances, Gross scored 30 goals and provided 45 assists. He played a key role in helping Brighton secure their first-ever qualification for European competition in the club’s 122-year history by finishing sixth in the 2022-23 season.

Gross was named Brighton’s player of the season twice in his first season at the club in 2017-18 and last year in his final campaign

The midfielder received his first call-up to the Germany national team at the age of 32 and was included in manager, Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for Euro 2024. He has earned eight caps and scored one goal at the international level.

Despite reaching the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid at Wembley, Dortmund had a disappointing domestic campaign, finishing fifth in the league and being eliminated in the last 16 of the German Cup.

This summer Dortmund has already signed striker, Serhou Guirassy and defender, Waldemar Anton, both from last season’s surprise Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart.