Villarreal Confirm Signing of Dortmund Striker Paco Alcacer on Deal Until 2025

Paco Alcacer has left Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund to sign for La Liga outfit Villarreal, penning a deal until 2025.

The 26-year-old tumbled down the pecking order at Signal Iduna Park in recent months, strugglling with knee injuries for much of the year. He featured in only two of BVB's last nine matches in all competitions, though he still managed an admirable seven goals in 15 appearance.

Dortmund announced the news of Alcacer's departure via their official website, before Villarreal released a statement of their own confirming the deal.

It reads: "Villarreal CF have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of Paco Alcácer, who will wear yellow for the rest of this season, and five more (until June 2025). 

"The Valencian striker will train for the first time under Javi Calleja’s orders, in the morning session this Friday. The striker will wear the No.17 shirt."

The striker initially joined BVB on loan from ​Barcelona, going on to collect 19 goals during his first season under Lucien Favre. However, he's found himself on the fringes of late, with the club's activity in the January transfer leaving him surplus to requirements.

Dortmund's £18m purchase of Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Erling Braut Haaland brought an emphatic end to Alcacer's time in North Rhine-Westphalia, the teenager thrilling fans in his opening two appearances for the team.

Arriving off the back of scoring 28 goals in 22 games for the Austrians, Haaland continued his meteoric rise to stardom with a 23-minute debut hat-trick, which he followed up with a brace against Koln.

After months of speculation over Alcacer's future, the Norwegian's presence has now forced the issue, with the former returning to his home country as he begins another La Liga adventure.

While ​Champions League football was a near guarantee with Dortmund, the Spaniard will have to be firing on all cylinders to help his new employers gain entry back into the competition.

El Submarino Amarillo are currently eighth in the league table, a leaky defence seeing them trail fourth-place Getafe by five points. Whether Alcacer's goals can make up for deficiencies in the backline remains to be seen.

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