Midfielder, Pascal Gross has departed Brighton to join Borussia Dortmund in a £5.9m transfer.
With just one year left on Gross’ contract at Brighton, the club accepted a £5.9m plus add-ons offer from Dortmund for the 33 year-old, who has now signed a two-year contract until June 2026 at Westfalenstadion with option for 12-month extension.
Explaining the decision to let Gross leave, Brighton’s Technical Director – David Weir iterated that the club “fought hard” to retain him but respected his decision to join his “boyhood club” with little fuss once the decision was finalised.
Weir added: “It’s an incredible opportunity for Pascal, seeing out his career playing for his boyhood team at the top level of German football, and nobody would wish to deny him that chance.
“I am sure many of us will watch with great interest over the coming seasons.”
Brighton’s new Head Coach, Fabian Hürzeler echoed Weir’s sentiments but is “disappointed” to not have the opportunity to coach him this season.
Chairman, Tony Bloom paid tribute to Gross for his contribution to the club on and off the pitch, as he applauded the German for his impact and praised him for fulfilling his desire to play Bundesliga football.
“In terms of his contribution on the pitch, Pascal goes down as the club’s greatest-ever Premier League signing. He has been with us since the start of the Premier League era, and has been such a superb player for us.
“He has been a joy to watch and contributed so many important and memorable moments across the last seven seasons.
“I am really sad to see him leave – and I know it has not been an easy decision for him – but I understand his desire to see out his career at the top of the German game with the club he grew up supporting.
“On behalf of all Brighton & Hove Albion fans I would like to wholeheartedly thank Pascal, and I wish him well with Dortmund.
“The term legend is often overused, but in Pascal’s case he is a genuine legend of this club and will be welcome back here at any time in the future.”
Upon confirmation of his move to Dortmund, Gross said that he was “delighted” to play for his childhood club.
“Signing for this club is a huge deal for me, as I’ve been a Dortmund fan since I was a kid.
“I’ll try to repay the club’s faith in me by playing my game, and I can’t wait to play alongside my new teammates in front of the BVB fans at the Signal Iduna Park and to work hard with everyone here to achieve our ambitious goals.”
Gross joined Brighton in July 2017 from FC Ingolstadt 04 and went on to produce 32 goals and 52 assists in all competitions for the Seagulls across seven seasons.
During that time, he helped Brighton qualify for Europe for the first time in their history with a sixth-placed finish in 2022-23 Premier League, and they went on to reach Round of 16 in last season’s Europa League.
Gross’ consistency and versatility in not just midfield positions but as a full-back too saw him receive a maiden international call-up for Germany in August 2023, and he went on to score one goal in eight international appearances.
Gross also was part of Germany’s UEFA Euro 2024 squad which crashed out to eventual champion – Spain in the Quarter-Finals, although his sole appearance came as a substitute in their opening 5-1 win over Scotland.
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