Hamburg sign Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal

Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal moves from Italian outfit Cagliari Calcio to Bundesliga side Hamburg, both clubs confirmed on Sunday.

After a long back and forth Hamburg were finally able to seal the deal with Ekdal, who has put pen to paper on a four-year deal until June 2019, reports Xinhua.

"We want to integrate Albin as soon as possible. He is a strong player who staged good performances with the Swedish national team. He played the last seven years in Italy, that is, he is tactically skilled," Hamburg' s coach Bruno Labbadia said.

The 25-year-old new has played four seasons at Cagliari Calcio and made overall 115 appearances. Ekdal is since 2011 part of Sweden' s national soccer team and made 17 caps ever since.

"I am happy that the transfer finally worked out. I am looking forward to play for the HSV and in the Bundesliga," he said.

Hamburg see title holders and German record champions Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga season opener on August 14.