Borussia Dortmund’s Colombia striker Adrian Ramos is set to quit the Bundesliga to join Chinese Super League club Chongqing Dangdai Lifan, the German team said.
Sixth-placed Dortmund, who face Benfica in the last 16 of the Champions League next month, are at Werder Bremen on Saturday when the Bundesliga resumes after the winter break.
Ramos, who turns 31 on Sunday, is unlikely to be in the squad after the club’s media director told German magazine Kicker that a transfer “has been agreed in principle” with Chongqing, with only the details to be finalised.
The Chinese club are reportedly ready to pay 12 million euros ($12.8m) and offer a contract until 2020 to Ramos, who Kicker say will be loaned by his new employers to Spanish league side Granada for the rest of the season.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel says with first-choice striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Gabon, he does not want to see Ramos go, but has no plans to replace him.
“No, it’s not compulsory that we will replace him like-for-like in this transfer window,” said Tuchel after Tuesday’s 6-1 win over third division Paderborn in a friendly.
With Aubameyang away, Tuchel says he has several options who can play as striker in Germany internationals Marco Reus, Andre Schuerrle and Mario Goetze.
Nevertheless, Tuchel is sorry to say goodbye to Ramos, who made 79 appearances and scored 19 goals for Dortmund, mainly off the bench, having joined Borussia before the 2014/15 season.
“Adrian has put in a transfer request during each transfer window, but he has seen whenever he has played how much the team and I appreciate him,” said Tuchel.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have granted his request.”
Source AFP
