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Shinji Kagawa will join Turkish club Besiktas Istanbul on loan until the end of the season. In addition the club will receive an option to buy the Japan international for a reported fee of 1.6€ million.
@S_Kagawa0317 wechselt bis zum Saisonende auf Leihbasis zu @Besiktas.
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 31, 2019
Einmal Borusse, immer Borusse - Danke für alles, Shinji! pic.twitter.com/2rtXRDzN00
Kagawa joined Borussia Dortmund in 2010 from Cerezo Osaka and immediately became a fan favorite, many BVB-fans will always remember him for his masterclass performance in a 3:1 victory in the Revierderby in 2010. After two successful seasons in Dortmund he left in 2012 for Manchester United but returned after a disappointing spell at the Premier League club.
In total he appeared in 2016 games for Dortmund, scoring 60 goals and adding 55 assists. With the black and yellows he has won 2 Bundesliga titles and 2 DFB Cups.
Most Dortmund followers will be disappointed to see Shinji leave but he never broke into the rotation with Lucien Favre in charge and a move was the best for all parties involved. Michael Zorc emphasized the special relationship between Kagawa and the club and his desire for a new sporting challenge:
“Shinji is not only an outstanding football player, but also a great friend of our club. We did not want to deny him this request” [...] “So we have a lot of understanding for Shinji’s situation and for his desire to get more work done at another club”
Shinji will be missed but he’ll always be remembered fondly by BVB-fans.