Albin Ekdal ready for Djurgården

Earlier this week, Albin Ekdal, 34, broke up with Spezia. After that, there have been rumors of a move to Djurgården.

Sports director Bosse Andersson then told Fotbollskanalen that you had contact with the midfielder.

– So at Christmas time I have had contact with Albin, Hjalmar (little brother) and Lennart (father). I am up to date on Albin’s situation, I am. Then if he plays football in Djurgården in the future, we’ll have to come back to that, Andersson said.

Now the Allsvenskan club announces that Ekdal is ready. He has signed a two-year contract and will wear shirt number 8.

He is thus back in Swedish football for the first time since the move from Brommapojkarna to Juventus in 2008.

“It feels incredibly exciting”

– The last chapter has not been written yet. Now I’m finally home again, says Ekdal in a video on X.

On Djurgården’s official website, he elaborates:

– It feels incredibly exciting. It is a dream come true and it has been several years now that I have wanted to play in Djurgården. It’s actually been a boy’s dream since I went to check out the Stadium, he says and continues:

– I want to put on the shirt, I want to play in front of the supporters, I want to be at Kaknäs. There are several different factors, but the simple and straightforward answer is that I want to play for Djurgården IF.

The sports director: Delighted

Sports manager Bosse Andersson also speaks out.

– Albin has been a professional abroad for a long time and is returning to Stockholm after a long successful career with, among other things, 70 A international matches played. He has been clear that he wants to come to Djurgården for some time. We have had discussions before as well and now it is gratifying that it is ready, he says to the club’s website and continues:

– We get a player here who is a leader both on and off the field, who can share a lot of experience with the group. He is ambitious and determined for the next two years and has a lot left to give, and we look forward to seeing him do that in Djurgården.

Ekdal fills in:

– Bosse and I have always had a decent relationship in recent years. I have hinted that I want to play in Djurgården and Bosse has understood that I am serious. But the last 2-3 months there has been a lot of talk between us, absolutely, he says to the website.

Ekdal, who played his 70th and last international match for Sweden in November, has also played in Siena, Bologna, Cagliari, Hamburg and Sampdoria.