Borussia Dortmund and Julian Brandt will continue their sporting future together. The 26-year-old, whose contract was set to run until 2024, on Tuesday morning penned a new deal that will tie him to the eight-time German champions until 30 June 2026.

The premature extension with Brandt is a core element of the medium-term squad planning – about which sporting director Sebastian Kehl said the following: “As already announced over the winter, we’re now entering a phase in which we will make and announce personnel decisions step by step. Julian’s signature is a first step in this direction.” BVB’s improved performances and winning run at the start of 2023 were inextricably linked with Julian Brandt: the German Football League (DFL) bestowed consecutive “Player of the Month” awards upon the midfielder in January and February.

Kehl summarised the Germany international’s improvement as follows: “Julian has undergone another enormous development in the last year, is significantly more focused in his play off the ball, regularly sets up goals and shines himself as a goalscorer. His awareness of dangerous situations on the pitch, combined with his technical capabilities and his creativity, make him a valuable part of our squad. Accordingly, he plays a very important role in our plans, and we’re happy that he has made the decision to continue shaping Borussia Dortmund’s sporting future as a leading player.”

Brandt, who transferred to BVB from league rivals Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer of 2019, has so far made 120 Bundesliga appearances (23 goals and 22 assists) and played 27 games in the UEFA Champions League (three goals and four assists) for BVB. He is Borussia Dortmund’s second-most prolific player in the current Bundesliga campaign, with eight goals and four assists to his name.

Julian Brandt said: “Even after four years, I still have a lot of fun every single day being part of precisely this team, being on the pitch with these lads and playing football for this highly emotional club with its extraordinary fans. In honesty, the feeling of being in the right place at the right time has always been the most important point of my sporting life. And that won’t change either. I’m looking forward to the coming years in Black & Yellow and I’m sure that we’ll have the opportunity to celebrate something big together.”