Juventus and Liverpool dealt blow as Germany star pens new deal

Juventus and Liverpool dealt blow as Germany star pens new deal
2018-23-04 - 17:00
Juventus and Liverpool have suffered a blow in their efforts to sign Jonas Hector after the left-back signed a five-year deal with FC Koln on 23 April.

The 27-year-old Germany international was linked with a move to the Turin club, while the Premier League club were also looking at the option of signing him. However, the defender has refused to leave Koln, who will be relegated from the Bundesliga this season.

“German international Jonas Hector will make no use of his opt-out clause and instead commits his long-term future to 1. FC Köln. The contract of the 27-year-old was extended for two further years until 2023,” a statement read on Koln’s official website.

​Hector explained why he committed his future to his current employers.

“FC Köln allowed me to take the path from the regional league (fourth division) to the German national team. I am very connected and thankful to this club and feel very comfortable living in Cologne,” Hector said.

“It would have been no problem for me to switch to another club after this season, but it would not have felt right. We had many talks in the past few weeks and I had enough time to think about it.

“The decision for me is clear: I belong to FC and I want to go into the new season with this team and with these fans.”