VfL Wolfsburg have secured the services of Brazilian international and Champions League winner Dante from Bayern Munich, adding depth to an impressive array of centre-backs. Dante signed a three-year-contract until June 2018 at the Volkswagen Arena.
Just on Friday, Matthias Sammer, sporting director of Bayern Munich, said: "If Dante will ask us for an approval, we will discuss this," and apparently the defender did this. He was asking the bosses for their approval to join Wolfsburg before the transfer window shut.
In Bayern Munich's press statement club boss, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, said that, "We [Bayern Munich] would like to thank Dante." He added that the club "enjoyed great success" while Dante was at the club, earning many "wonderful moments and trophies". Before wishing him well in the future, Rummenigge added that the Brazilian is a "very agreeable and likeable person".
Third attempt in Bundesliga
For the 31-year-old Brazilian defender, it is his third venture in the Bundesliga after Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich and now VfL Wolfsburg.
In winter 2009, the then 25-year-old joined Gladbach for a transfer fee of €2.5m and made 103 appearances there in three-and-a-half years.
After his stay at Borussia-Park, he joined record champions Bayern Munich for €4.7m and signed a four-year deal, which he even extended only two years later until June 2017.
For the Bavarians, Dante featured in 133 matches and won the Bundesliga, the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, the UEFA and DFL-Supercup, the DFB-Pokal and also the FIFA Club World Cup. From this season, coach Pep Guardiola hasn't been able to guarantee enough minutes on the pitch for the Brazilian and so the defender decided to leave the club and join Wolfsburg.
Plenty of competition at Wolfsburg
At Wolfsburg, Dante has to fight against Naldo, Robin Knoche, Timm Klose and Felipe (still in rehabilitation after a heart problem) for a regular place in the team. Currently Naldo and Klose are first-choice Wolfsburg defenders, but it might be possible that new signing Dante will replace the Swiss national.
Dante can help the Lower Saxony side to get even better in the defence and with three very good defenders - Klose, Naldo and now Dante - can rotate and get a break before and after a Champions League match, where the Wolves will play against PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and CSKA Moscow in the group stage.