Germany defender Mats Hummels has committed his future to Borussia Dortmund by signing a new five-year contract.
Defender ends speculation about his future by signing until 2017
Germany defender Mats Hummels has committed his future to Borussia Dortmund by signing a new five-year contract.
Hummels established himself as one of the most highly-regarded defenders in the world as Dortmund secured the double for the first time in their history this season.
The 23-year-old has been linked with big-money bids from around Europe but has ended speculation about his future by signing a deal to keep him at the Westfalenstadion until 2017.
"As soon as the club approached me and asked if I would like to extend, I knew immediately that I want to continue being part of this team, which is so successful and is so much fun to be in," he said.
It is a major coup for the Bundesliga champions who appear doomed to losing the services of attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa this summer.
Intelligent
BVB coach Jurgen Klopp admits it is a fantastic boost that the player has agreed to stay.
"Mats Hummels could have moved to practically any club in Europe, but he has chosen Borussia Dortmund and that is a great story," Klopp said on the club's
official website.
"Mats is a highly-intelligent player in terms of winning tackles and closing people down and I don't know anybody across the whole continent who does it as well as he."
Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke added: "Mats is a true leader and for him to commit his future to Dortmund for such a long period of time is a clear show of faith in our philosophy."
It is not the first time Hummels has shown remarkable loyalty to Dortmund.
He insisted on signing a permanent deal with the club after initially signing on loan from Bayern Munich in 2008, despite the desire of the Bavarian giants to take him back to the club.
