Ivorian Sébastien Haller leaves Dortmund, seals FC Utrecht transfer

Ivorian striker Sébastien Haller has decided to make FC Utrecht his permanent home after a hugely successful loan spell with the Dutch side in the last campaign.

The 31-year-old striker signed a one-year contract with Utrecht, effectively ending his adventure with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Haller has since said he opted to stay longer at Utrecht because it feels like home for him.

“I’m happy and satisfied. Everything, really,” Haller told Utrecht’s website.

The former West Ham United forward added that he had options to sign for other European teams that had shown interest in his services, but his heart was always at Utrecht.

“There was a fair amount of interest from other clubs this summer. But for me, there was only one ideal scenario, and that was FC Utrecht. We’ve built something great this past year, and I want to be a part of it for longer,” Haller said.

The Ivorian attacker then hinted that the interests of his family influenced his decision to leave Dortmund for good.

“If you look at what we’ve done in Europe: fantastic. Good matches, big results. The only thing you think is: I want to be there, to help the team. And now I’ve succeeded,” he explained.

“Utrecht is a wonderful place for me, just like the Netherlands. I can bring my family back to a place they know. That brings peace and is crucial for me: being together with my family again. Of course, it took a while. There were a few challenges, but in the end, both clubs cooperated well. I’m very grateful for that.”

Haller spent three seasons at Dortmund, making 33 appearances and scoring nine goals.

He is now in familiar territory having first been on the books of FC Utrecht between 2015 and 2018. The striker is capped 27 times and has 10 goals in Ivory Coast colours.