Former Werder Bremen star Diego has returned to the Bundesliga after one season at Juventus, as the Brazil playmaker has signed for VfL Wolfsburg in a deal believed to be worth around €15m.
The 25-year-old penned a four-year contract with Wolfsburg last night, and he’ll be available to make his debut for Steve McClaren’s side tomorrow at home against FSV Mainz.
Diego came up through the Santos youth system, and after making his debut at 16, remained at the club until 2004, when he moved to then-European champions Porto. After two seasons at Porto, he moved to Werder Bremen in May 2006 for €6m.
After he fell out of favor in his final season at Porto, he became an instant hit at Werder Bremen, and in three seasons at the club, he scored 52 goals in 128 appearances, helping the club record top-three finishes in his first two seasons, and in his final season, win the DFB Pokal and reach the final of the UEFA Cup.
His excellent performances for Werder earned him a €24.5m move to Juventus last summer, and he was expected to take that form with him to Turin. However, he managed only five goals and seven assists in 31 Serie A starts, and Juve’s summer-long pursuit and eventual signing of CSKA Moscow star Milos Krasic was a sign that the writing was on the wall for Diego’s short Serie A stint.
It remains to be seen, however, if Diego’s arrival will see Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic leave before the summer transfer window closes. Schalke 04 manager Felix Magath said yesterday that the club wouldn’t be signing Misimovic due to Wolfsburg’s demand that Schalke include forward Jefferson Farfan in their offer, but with Diego‘s arrival at the Volkswagen Arena, negotiations could well re-open in the coming days.
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