German club Bayern Munich had agreed to a €20-million transfer deal with English club Manchester United that will send World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger to Old Trafford starting this season, as per ESPN.
Louis van Gaal had actually been targeting the Bavarians' winger Thomas Müller for a long time, but instead ended up taking the 30-year-old midfielder from the Bundesliga. Both Germany internationals played a key role in their nation's conquest of the World Cup last year against Lionel Messi's Argentina squad.
Schweinsteiger, who is set to earn €10 million a year from the Red Devils, and van Gaal are already familiar with each other as the Dutch manager had handled Bayern from 2009 to 2011.
After the announcement of his transfer, Schweinsteiger thanked his fans in a social media site and mentioned all of his successes at the Olympiastadion and the Allianz Arena, remarking that it is something that he will keep in his heart forever.
"I hope you, dear fans, understand that I have chosen this path now. I think it's a great challenge and I'm looking forward to it, although I will never forget you," he said, via the Daily Mail Online. "My destination is Manchester United. I hope you understand my decision. No one can take away the incredible journey we had together."
With the deal finalized, the German captain will now join the Old Trafford giants on their first game against Mexican club América in the 2015 International Champions Cup to be held on July 17 at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
The International Champions Cup is a series of friendly football matches held annually. It is usually held in the United States and Canada and includes professional football clubs from Europe and America.
This year, China, Mexico, Italy, England, and Australia are included in the list of venues.