Borussia Dortmund on Monday confirmed that striker Sebastien Haller has completed a permanent move to Dutch side FC Utrecht.
Haller, 31, reportedly joined on a free transfer after being allowed to terminate his Dortmund contract a year early. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Utrecht, where he previously played between 2015 and 2017.
“This summer there was quite a bit of interest from other clubs, but for me there was only one ideal scenario and that was FC Utrecht,” Haller said in a statement published on Utrecht’s website.
The move brings an end to a challenging chapter at Dortmund for the Ivory Coast international. Signed for €31 million from Ajax in 2022, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly after his arrival and spent six months undergoing treatment.
He also endured a painful sporting setback, missing a crucial penalty on the final day of the 2022–23 Bundesliga season in a 2-2 draw against Mainz — a result that handed the league title to Bayern Munich.
Despite his struggles in Germany, Haller made history for his country by scoring the winning goal in last year’s Africa Cup of Nations final, where Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria.
