Dortmund signs Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross after 7 years in the Premier League

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Champions League runner-up Borussia Dortmund signed German midfielder Pascal Gross from Brighton on Thursday, adding depth and experience to its midfield.

Gross leaves the English Premier League after seven years and 228 games, the third-most ever in the league for a German player, to join a club he’s supported since childhood. He arrives on a two-year contract.

“I’m delighted to be a Borussia Dortmund player,” Gross said in a statement. “Signing for this club is a huge deal for me, as I’ve been a Dortmund fan since I was a kid. I’ll try to repay the club’s faith in me by playing my game.”

Until breaking into the national team last year, the 33-year-old Gross was comparatively unknown in Germany. He has played only 70 career top-flight games in his home country, most recently in 2016-17 for Ingolstadt, which was relegated from the Bundesliga that year.

Gross is the third new signing for Dortmund this offseason after German defender Waldemar Anton and Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy, who both arrived from Bundesliga rival Stuttgart.

Gross has played eight games for Germany since his debut in Sept. 2023 and was in the host nation’s squad for Euro 2024, with his only appearance coming in the 5-1 win over Scotland in the opening game.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer