Dortmund rebuilding continues with defender Abdou Diallo
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) Borussia Dortmund signed French defender Abdou Diallo from Bundesliga rival Mainz on Tuesday.
Dortmund says the 22-year-old Diallo has penned a five-year deal through June 2023 and will start training with his new team on July 7.
Diallo is Dortmund's second most expensive transfer - after Andre Schuerrle - costing a reported 28 million euros ($32.7 million). The club hopes Diallo will fill the gap left by Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who is expected to complete his transfer to Arsenal.
''He is a modern and strong central defender who is very intelligent,'' Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said of Diallo. ''But he can play a wider defensive role too or even be deployed in a defensive midfield role. The combination of his great potential and his versatility is what made Abdou such an interesting prospect for us.''
Diallo has played in every youth category for France since the under-16s. He made 27 league appearances for Mainz in his debut Bundesliga season following his transfer from Monaco last year.
The defender is Dortmund's latest off-season signing under new coach Lucien Favre after the arrivals of midfielders Thomas Delaney and Marius Wolf, and goalkeeper Marwin Hitz.
