Bartra to leave Barcelona for Borussia Dortmund in €8M move

Borussia Dortmund announced Thursday that it has agreed to terms with defender Marc Bartra on a four-year contract after activating the €8-million buyout clause in the Barcelona man's contract.

Dortmund had notified Barcelona earlier in the day of its desire to take on the 25-year-old, leaving the Catalan club powerless in losing the centre-back at a bargain price.

There are still a few details to smooth out before consummating the deal, according to an official statement on Dortmund's website.

"Thank you Marc Bartra for dedicating half your life to Barca," wrote Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Twitter. "Good luck with this new project."

Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol, Bartra's agent, suggested recently that his client's future with the club was up in the air. After failing to crack Luis Enrique's lineup, Bartra is now poised to assume a starter's role in Dortmund as a replacement for Mats Hummels.

Bartra confirmed last week that his buyout clause had dropped to €8 million from €40 million because he had played so little. Barcelona reportedly offered the player a new contract, but Puyol and Bartra rejected the deal.

Making just 13 appearances in La Liga, Bartra still managed to seal a spot in Spain's 23-man squad for Euro 2016.

He spent more than half of his life with Barcelona, joining the Blaugrana at 12 years old, and later graduating from La Masia. He won five La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns during his six-year stint with the first team.