Borussia Dortmund have managed to tie down a great and internationally sought-after talent for the long-term. Julian Weigl has prematurely extended his contract, which originally ran until 2019, by a further two years until 30 June 2021.

"I feel well looked-after here in Dortmund, both in a sporting sense and generally. It was a logical decision for me to extend my contract, one that required little reflection", said the 21 year young midfield player, who transferred from second Bundesliga team TSV 1860 Munich to eight time German champions Dortmund in summer 2015.

Weigl's sporting development at BVB has been rapid. His debut season saw him in the starting-eleven 25 times in his 30 Bundesliga matches, during which he showed no signs of struggling to fit in, was strong in the tackle, and misplaced only 8% of his passes, the best pass success rate internally at BVB, and one of the best in the league. On match day 34, Weigl set a historic Bundesliga record with 214 touches of the ball against Cologne. The reward for his excellent as well as consistent performances were the call-ups he received to the German national team, for which he made three appearances in international fixtures and for which he participated in the Euro 2016 finals in France. He has been involved in 67 of a possible 75 matches for BVB.    

"Julian is already an important figure despite his youth. In a very short period of time, he has been able to secure his place at BVB as well as play at a high level, and is still at the beginning of his sporting development", opined Borussia Dortmund's Sporting Director Michael Zorc after the signing of the contract: "We are delighted that he has decided to stay with us long-term."

BVB total!-Video: Julian Weigl in interview regarding his contract extension