Borussia Mönchengladbach loses striker Alassane Plea to the Netherlands. The 32-year-old is joining PSV Eindhoven.
Plea still had a contract with Gladbach until 2026. The striker could have left Borussia via an exit clause, but this expired on June 30. This meant that the transfer fee for the 32-year-old was negotiable, and is in the region of four million euros. Plea’s new contract in Eindhoven runs until 2028.
“Alassane approached us with the desire to take on a new sporting challenge and to be able to sign another long-term contract,” said Roland Virkus, Borussia’s sporting director. “We have granted him this wish. We would like to thank Lasso for seven years at Borussia, during which he delivered outstanding performances and scored many important goals.”
Plea himself looks back “with gratitude on seven great years at this fantastic club, which I have grown to love. It has always been an honor to wear the diamond jersey. I would like to thank everyone at Borussia for this incredibly beautiful chapter in my career and will always carry this club in my heart.”
Alassane Plea is set to leave Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Tim Kleindienst is out with injury until November. Fohlen reporter Jan Lustig explains who Borussia could bring in as a replacement.
The money from the sale of Plea and the considerable savings on salaries will give Borussia more room for maneuver to push ahead with the striker issue. Following the lengthy absence of striker Tim Kleindienst (knee surgery), the club is looking for an additional attacker. Kiel’s Shuto Machino remains a hot candidate. However, Borussia are also looking at other options. According to reports from Italy, Sebastiano Esposito (23) of Inter Milan has been approached.
Plea is the Foals’ record signing
Plea moved from Nice to Gladbach in 2018 for €23 million and remains the Foals’ record transfer to date. In recent years, the striker has developed into a key player, scoring 68 goals in 236 games for Borussia.
Plea learned to play soccer in his native France, progressing through all the youth teams at Olympique Lyon. He also took his first steps in men’s football at OL. After a brief spell at Auxerre, he left Lyon in August 2014, after a total of 15 years, and moved to Nice. After 128 games and 41 goals, he moved to Gladbach in the Bundesliga, where he has now ended his career.
