Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 10y

Immobile ready to move to Dortmund

#INSERT type:image caption:Ciro Immobile has also played for Juventus and Genoa. END#

Italy striker Ciro Immobile has said it would be an honour to replace Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund next season.

The Torino striker's future is uncertain with fellow Turin club Juventus also owning 50 percent of his registration.

Should Dortmund, who are looking for a new striker after losing Lewandowski to Bayern Munich on a free transfer, make a bid which suits both parties, it is a prospect which he finds particularly appealing.

"I'm ambitious and after a season in which I've played so well, it's only natural to aim very high," he said at a news conference on Wednesday. "I admit I'd like to play in the Champions League now. Borussia Dortmund are a huge club and the idea of replacing Lewandowski really appeals to me.

"Still, my agent's looking around and we'll just have to see. Like I said, it's important for me to find a club playing in the Champions League because that would also help me develop personally.

"I've spoken to my under-21 teammates [Luca] Caldirola and [Giulio] Donati and they've told me that the Bundesliga's a fantastic league, one of the best in the world."

Immobile scored 22 goals for Torino this season, and he admits it would be hard to stay with them following their failure to qualify for Europe.

"I talk to the president frequently and we have a great relationship," Immobile added. "We both know what we want and I need a new experience. I want to play in the Champions League to see what quality I've really got."

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