BERLIN, Aug 18, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Borussia Dortmund on Monday confirmed 
striker Sebastien Haller had joined Dutch side Utrecht on a permanent deal.

Haller reportedly joined on a free transfer, having been allowed to end his 
Dortmund contract a year early.

The 31-year-old Ivory Coast international spent the second half of last 
season on loan at Utrecht, the club he played for 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 on the club's website.

The departure ends a tumultuous time for Haller at Dortmund.

After arriving in a deal worth 31 million euros ($36 million) from Ajax in 
2022, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer weeks later and missed six 
months while undergoing treatment.

He missed a penalty on the final day of the 2022-23 season in a 2-2 home draw 
against Mainz which handed Bayern Munich the Bundesliga title.

The former West Ham and Eintracht Frankfurt forward scored the winning goal 
for Ivory Coast in last year's Africa Cup of Nations final against Nigeria.