BERLIN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Werder Bremen has signed Swiss World Cup squad member Cedric Itten on a free transfer from Fortuna Duesseldorf, adding a proven central striker to its attacking options, the Bundesliga club announced on Sunday.
The 29-year-old moves to Bremen after Duesseldorf's relegation to the third division ended the validity of a contract that had originally run until 2029.
Bremen has now announced three free-transfer arrivals as it seeks to sharpen an attack that was the second weakest in last season's Bundesliga.
Itten scored 16 goals in 32 competitive matches for Duesseldorf, with three of his league goals coming under current Bremen coach Daniel Thioune before Thioune left the Rhineland club last October.
The forward has won 16 caps for Switzerland, scoring five goals, and made his World Cup debut as a substitute against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Cedric is a player who fits the profile we were looking for excellently. At 29, he has a lot of experience, which he has gained both at his previous clubs and with the Swiss national team. These qualities will offer our team important added value," Bremen head of professional football Peter Niemeyer said.
Thioune said Itten's physical presence would give Bremen a different attacking dimension. "I know Cedric from our time together in Duesseldorf. He is a tall, physically robust penalty-box striker who can hold and secure balls and knows where the goal is. His qualities will expand our possibilities in attack," Thioune said.
Itten, developed at Basel, also played for Luzern, St Gallen, Rangers, Greuther Furth and Young Boys before joining Duesseldorf. He made 12 Bundesliga appearances, scoring twice, during a loan spell from Rangers at Greuther Furth in the 2021/22 season.
At Bremen, Itten joins an attack currently planned around highly rated Salim Musah and 19-year-old signing Kenny Quetant, while Keke Topp is expected to become an option only in the second half of the season after a cruciate ligament injury. Bremen also plans to sign another forward.
Bremen finished 15th in the Bundesliga table on 32 points from 34 matches, with a goal difference of minus 23, ending the season just above the relegation places. ■
