BY TESFANEWS*
Eritrean-Swedish striker Alexander Isak has signed a five-year contract to move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Sociedad in Spain for a reportedly €10 million (£8.9m/$11.3m) deal to keep with the club through June 2024.
The 19-year-old Isak, who joined Dortmund from AIK Solna for a reported €8.6 million in January 2017, spent the past half season at Willem II in the Dutch first division, where he scored 13 goals in 16 league games.
“I am very happy to be here, it has been a very good year and finishing it by signing for Real is very good for me,” Isak said.
“I really want to start, I’ve heard a lot about the club, I know it’s a young team. I thank you for believing in me and I hope that together we can achieve the objectives.
“I am a player who likes to have the ball, with good technique and who works hard for the team. I think I can help by scoring goals and I hope we do well.”
Club president Jokin Aperribay added: “Best wishes for you and your family in these five years. We are convinced that they will be very beautiful years for the Real, with a young team and eager to learn and face the future.”
Isak became the first foreign-born player to score 12 goals in his first 12 league games in the Eredivisie while also becoming the first player to score three penalties in one Eredivisie match.
In total, Isak finished with 14 goals in 18 appearances for Willem II as they finished 10th in the Eredivisie, with the forward equalling Fran Sol as the club’s leading scorer.
Isak has earned six caps with Sweden, scoring two goals, with one coming on June 7 in a Euro 2020 qualifying win over Malta.
He now joins a Real Sociedad team that finished ninth in La Liga.
A Spanish media report suggests that Dortmund have secured a buy-back clause as part of the deal but that has not been confirmed.
BVB’s sporting director Michael Zorc did say that Dortmund would be “closely following his performances” in Spain though.
* Sporting News and DW contributed to the story.
