Nuri Sahin, title winner in 2011 with Borussia Dortmund (a season in which he was voted ''Player of the Season'' by his colleagues in the Bundesliga) and 2017 DFB Cup winner, has transferred with immediate effect to Bundesliga rivals SV Werder Bremen. The midfielder's contract at BVB, scheduled to run until 30 June 2019, has been terminated.

''I spoke to Nuri just last night. It was his expressed desire to move to SV Werder. But I'm almost 100 percent sure that his life will continue to be centred around Dortmund, and I'd be delighted if one day after he has hung up his boots he were to return to BVB - in whatever role that may be,'' declared the chairman of the board of management, Hans-Joachim Watzke.

''Nuri is a player who has always earned enormous respect at BVB - from his time in the youth set-up right through to the present day,'' said director of football Michael Zorc: ''A great Borussia man, who will always be a part of the club and its history!''

''I would like to wholeheartedly thank the club and the fans for all that we've shared together over the past few years. I'm not leaving entirely, Borussia will always be in my heart. I'd like to thank both Aki Watze and Michael Zorc from the bottom of my heart as well as all the coaches I had, above all Jürgen Klopp. He always supported me and pushed me forward,'' said Nuri Sahin, who holds a not inconsiderable number of football records: the youngest ever Bundesliga player at 16 years and 355 days old, the youngest goalscorer in league history (17 years, 81 days,) the youngest player capped for the Turkish national team as well as the youngest player to score for Turkey (8 October 2005, the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Germany.)

Nuri has distinguished himself not just through his achievements on the pitch, but also through his sense of connection with Borussia. ''I was born in the Sauerland, where you're either a Dortmund fan or a Schalke fan. I'm so happy that I ended up a Dortmund fan.''

Now it's Bremen's colours he'll be putting on. ''We wish Nuri all the best at SV Werder. The doors are always open for him at BVB,'' reiterated Watzke and Zorc.