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Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a deal to re-sign Pascal Gross from Borussia Dortmund in January.
The agreement is subject to a medical and Dortmund have given Gross, 34, permission to travel to England to finalise the move.
The fee is just under €2million (£1.74m, US$2.35m), with a further €1m in potential bonuses.
The midfielder spent seven seasons on the south coast before joining Dortmund on a two-year deal in August 2024.
Gross established himself as one of Brighton’s most dependable and versatile players after joining the club from FC Ingolstadt 04 in 2017 following their promotion to the Premier League.
He scored 32 goals and provided 52 assists in 261 games, while being deployed in several different roles including right-back, left-back, on either wing, and in central midfield. He was Brighton’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League until he was overtaken by Danny Welbeck earlier this year.
His form helped earn his first call-up to the German national team in September 2023. Gross has since played 16 times for his country.
Analysis
It’s not really a surprise to see Pascal Gross leave Borussia Dortmund. Gross was never intended as a long-term solution and while he has had good games, particularly during the 2024-25 season, he moved to Dortmund to help them bridge the gap between eras and provide some seniority.
Job done in that respect. Felix Nmecha is now a clear first-choice in one of the central midfield roles and head coach Niko Kovac has a choice between Marcel Sabitzer and Jobe Bellingham for the other, with further support from Emre Can, who is more often used in central defence.
As a result, Gross started seven Bundesliga games in the first half of the season, but only played for just over 600 minutes. He remains a highly capable player — very much the one Brighton fans will remember from 2024 — but still one whose abilities are more valuable elsewhere at this stage of his career.