Arsenal's Gnabry joins Bremen, Hamburg sign Santos

Berlin (AFP) – Arsenal’s German winger Serge Gnabry joined Werder Bremen on Wednesday in a bid to get more first-team football, while Hamburg signed Brazil defender Douglas Santos before the Bundesliga’s transfer window closed.

Gnabry, who won silver at the Rio Olympics when Germany lost the football final to Brazil, completed a medical before posing with his new Bremen shirt at his unveiling.

“It was important for me to come to a club who could give me the prospect of regular matches,” said Gnabry, who made three Champions League appearances for Arsenal and just 11 Premier League appearances since his senior debut in 2012.

“The bosses at Bremen worked very hard for me and I am sure we can make things happen here.”

No details of the length of the contract have been announced, but the transfer is expected to cost Bremen between five and six million euros ($5.5m-$6.6m).

The Germany Under-21 forward has been brought in as cover for striker Max Kruse, who is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury.

Gnabry, who played all six matches for Germany in Rio, joined the Gunners in 2011 after coming through the junior ranks at VfB Stuttgart, the city where he was born.

He was unable to earn a regular starting spot at Arsenal and spent last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

Bremen badly need a boost after a 6-0 drubbing at defending champions Bayern Munich last Friday, on the opening weekend of the new Bundesliga season.

The hammering came less than a week after their shock German Cup defeat at third-division Sportfreunde Lotte.

Meanwhile, shortly before the transfer window in Germany closed at 6pm (1600 GMT), Bremen’s north German rivals Hamburg bought 22-year-old left-back Santos for a reported 10 million euros from Brazilian first division club Atletico Mineiro.

Hamburg will be the Brazilian’s third European club after spells at Spain’s  Granada and Italy’s Udinese.

Santos was a gold medallist in Rio, when the Selecao beat Germany on penalties.

“We are very happy that, just before the closing of the transfer window, we could strengthen our defence by signing such a talented player as Douglas Santos,” said Hamburg chairman Dietmar Beiersdorfer.