Bundesliga: Burkardt moves to Frankfurt

German national striker Jonathan Burkardt is moving from FSV Mainz 05 to Eintracht Frankfurt . The two Bundesliga clubs announced this. The clubs did not disclose the transfer terms. According to media reports , Eintracht Frankfurt will pay around €23 million.

As Frankfurt announced, Burkardt has signed a contract with the Champions League participant until 2030. "He demonstrated his strong finishing skills in Mainz, as well as his tactical understanding. He is an absolute team player on and off the pitch," said Eintracht sporting director Markus Krösche about the attacking player. According to Bild, the new signing will receive an annual base salary of €2.5 million at his new club.

"Hi, dear Mainz fans. The moment has unfortunately come: My football journey in Mainz ends here," said Burkardt, who had tears in his eyes in an emotional farewell video. "I came to Mainz as a 14-year-old boy and was taught the club's values ​​very early on, which fit incredibly well with my own values ​​– like respect and fairness, for example."

Burkardt was Germany's top scorer last season. The striker scored 18 goals in 29 matches, putting him ahead of Tim Kleindienst of Borussia Mönchengladbach (16 goals). Burkardt made his national team debut under coach Julian Nagelsmann in October of last year.

The transfer to Frankfurt had become increasingly likely in recent weeks, despite a contract with Mainz running until 2027. The move is likely to be a dream come true for the 24-year-old. Although the Darmstadt native has played for Mainz since 2014, he is said to have been a fan of Eintracht Frankfurt since childhood.