Borussia Dortmund's sporting general manager, Lars Ricken, confirmed on Saturday that Julian Brandt will leave the club on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires. His next destination is currently unknown.

Reports indicate that Aston Villa of the English Premier League have expressed interest in Brandt.

The 29-year-old Brandt came through the Wolfsburg youth academy and made his professional debut for Bayer Leverkusen on February 15, 2014, in the 21st round of the Bundesliga. He played for Leverkusen for five and a half years, making 215 appearances across all competitions, scoring 42 goals and providing 52 assists.

In July 2019, Brandt transferred to Borussia Dortmund for €25 million. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder for Dortmund, making 298 appearances to date, contributing 56 goals and 69 assists, and winning both the German Cup and the German Super Cup with the team.

Regarding Brandt's departure, Lars Ricken told Sky Sports Germany, "We had a frank discussion and then agreed not to renew the expiring contract."

“He played hundreds of games for Dortmund. I think we should be grateful to him. He played for us for seven years, during which time he also received some criticism. I have always appreciated his statistics. However, he will turn 30 in a few weeks, and the team needs to readjust its direction. This could be an opportunity for both sides to turn a new page.”

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac also commented on the matter: "Both sides have reached an agreement not to continue their cooperation in the future. We will work with Julian to complete the remaining nine games of the season and strive for good results."

"This was a decision we made together, involving Julian himself, our sporting director, sporting general manager, and head coach. We were completely in agreement."

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