Dortmund explain circumstances of Subotic stay
Borussia Dortmund have explained the circumstances behind the breakdown of Neven Subotic’s move to Middlesbrough.
Newly-promoted Boro had been linked with central defender Subotic throughout the summer, and the deal looked to be near completion just as the season-long loan signing of Alvaro Negredo went through.
Paperwork is still to be completed but 30-year-old former Manchester City forward Negredo has already linked up with Boro at their pre-season training camp in Marbella.
Serbian centre-half Subotic was expected to join Negredo on the pre-season camp, until the Bundesliga club announced he had failed a medical.
“Bad news for Neven Subotic,” a BVB statement read. “The investigation of a specialist in England has shown that the Borussia Dortmund player must undergo surgery in the rib area. It is expected that Subotic will be out for the rest of the year.”
The former Serbia international won the league with Dortmund in both 2011 and 2012.
Negredo, meanwhile, was a member of the City side which won the Premier League title in 2014.
The Spain international impressed at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 23 goals in 49 appearances in what proved his only season at the club after a £16.4million move from Sevilla in 2013.
He returned to Spain with Valencia in the summer of 2014, initially on loan before a £19million permanent deal was agreed last year.
He boasts 112 goals from 264 appearances in LaLiga and was also a member of Spain’s victorious Euro 2012 squad.
It has been a busy summer for Boro manager Aitor Karanka with Antonio Barragan, Victor Valdes, Viktor Fischer, Bernardo Espinosa, Marten de Roon and Jordan McGhee already on board at the Riverside Stadium.