Dortmund's Hofmann sold to Gladbach

The two Bundesliga clubs announced the deal simultaneously via statements posted on their websites on Tuesday. Mönchengladbach's statement said that the 23-year-old German (pictured above, left) had signed a contract that will run through the end of the 2019-20 season, but as is customary, neither club revealed the transfer fee. However, the German sports magazine "Kicker" put the fee at eight million euros ($8.7 million).

"The addition of Jonas Hofmann will help compensate for the loss of wingers to injury during the second half of the season. However, we mainly see this transfer as a long-term improvement of our squad. Jonas has shown in Mainz and Dortmund that he is an outstandingly talented Bundesliga player," Gladbach's sporting director Max Eberl, said.

Dortmund's statement confirmed that it had entered negotiations with Gladbach on the request of Hofmann, who was hoping for more playing time than he had seen in the first half of the season at BVB. In the statement, Hofmann thanked his former teammates, the staff, and fans at Dortmund for their support. He described his time at the club as "wonderful, emotional and successful."

Hofmann, who had gone out on loan to Mainz last season, appeared in just seven Bundesliga games for Dortmund in the first half of this campaign, scoring one goal. In all, he has made 48 Bundesliga appearances, finding the back of the net six times. He has also made 10 appearances for Germany's under-21 team (five goals).

With the injuries to wide players Patrick Herrmann and André Hahn, Hofmann, who can play on either wing or in a central midfield role, should be a good bet to meet his old teammates at his new home ground, the Borussia Park, when Dortmund are the visitors to kick off the second half of the season on January 23.