Dortmund snare free-scoring Barrios

BV Borussia Dortmund have signed prolific Argentinian striker Lucas Barrios on a four-year contract, with the 24-year-old having scored 37 goals in 38 league games for Chile's CSD Colo-Colo in 2008.

Long-term target
A fee of around €4.5m is believed to have been paid for Barrios, who has already played for seven clubs in Argentina, Mexico and Chile, and scored 49 goals in 53 league games at Colo Colo. "We have been watching him for a long time," said Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp, who last week sold Switzerland striker Alexander Frei to FC Basel 1893 for a reported €4.25m. "He is very physically tough and at 1.89m tall, a good presence. He has a great finish. He will give us another option in attack, though we do not lack options there."

'Ready for it'
Klopp said that Barrios would be given a gentle introduction to European football. "I will be playing in a difficult league, but I feel ready for it. I know that expectations are high," added Barrios, who will take the No18 shirt once worn by Lars Ricken, scorer of Dortmund's winning goal against Juventus in the 1997 UEFA Champions League final. Barrios made a favourable impression with his new club on Sunday when he scored three goals in a training match and providing the assists for two more.