Stuttgart's Daniel Didavi signs for Wolfsburg

Daniel Didavi used a press conference on Tuesday to announced that he will join Wolfsburg at the end of the season. This was later confirmed in a statement issued by his new club.

"It was a very difficult decision for me," Didavi told reporters. "I was uncomfortable with the situation. I'm happy that we have communicated my decision. But the season is not yet done. I want to show in the next few games the 'Dida' that people know."

Stuttgart's sporting director, Robin Dutt, said he had done all he could to convince Didavi to stay at the Swabian club.

"There were intensive and open discussions, he has always played with open cards," said Dutt. "He has always brought full motivation to Stuttgart and has made a positive contribution in the second half of the season. We're not just losing a good footballer, but also a good person."

Later, Wolfsburg issued a statement in which it announced that Didavi had signed a contract through the 2021 season.

The 26-year-old Didavi came through Stuttgart's youth academy and joined the first-team ahead of season 2009-10. But he really started to come into his own in the Bundesliga when on loan at Nuremburg where he scored nine league goals in 23 appearances.

However, on his return to Stuttgart, the midfielder fractured his ankle and missed 74 games, before missing a further four months with knee problems in 2015. Didavi has returned to excellent form in the last 18 months, scoring important goals for Stuttgart and keeping the Swabians out of relegation trouble.

Didavi has made 54 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart, scoring 15 goals and assisting on seven others.

Robin Dutt also used the press conference to confirm the signing of Jean Zimmer, a defender who can play of both sides, from Kaiserslautern. The 22-year-old Zimmer has signed a four-year contract with Stuttgart. The transfer fee was not announced, but it is thought to be around two million euros ($2.3 million).

rd/pfd (dpa, SID)