Football
Barcelona striker joins Dortmund permanently
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Paco Alcacer on a permanent deal from Barcelona.
The Spanish striker joined Dortmund on a season-long loan deal in August, and the German club have now exercised their option to buy him, per the club’s official Twitter account:
“Borussia Dortmund
@BlackYellow
Paco is here for good! 
He has penned a contract with the club until 2023 and expressed his delight with making his move permanent, per Dortmund’s website (h/t Bundesliga.com): “I’m very happy in Dortmund, at BVB and in this wonderful team. Borussia Dortmund was and is exactly the right decision for me. I’ll do everything I can to say thank you for your trust.”
When Alcacer initially made his loan move to the Bundesliga, Dortmund said their option to buy was worth €25 million (€22 million), per BBC Sport.
Alcacer’s career had stalled at Barca. He moved to the Camp Nou in 2016 from Valencia for €30 million (£25.5 million), but in the two full seasons he spent at the club, he started only 14 La Liga games.
Since moving to Dortmund, he has proved himself to be a superb frontman.
The 25-year-old has netted eight goals in just 236 minutes of action as BVB have set the pace in the 2018-19 Bundesliga:
Best mins per goal return in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season (5+ goals scored): 
It is little surprise that Dortmund have activated their option to keep him permanently, and it could be a move that benefits all parties involved.
As noted by Spanish football writer Simon Harrison, the transfer could also be beneficial for the Spain national team:
Very good news for the Spanish national team. Was always a waste to have Alcácer twiddling his thumbs at Barça. Best place for him to get consistent minutes and feeling confident. https://t.co/zozspyX61B
Alcacer will look to get back on the scoresheet when the Bundesliga returns this weekend.
BVB have a four-point lead at the head of the German top flight and visit Mainz on Saturday.