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Bundesliga club Hamburg have announced they have completed the signing of U.S. international Bobby Wood from Union Berlin. Wood, 23, has signed a four-year contract with Hamburg, tying him to the side until 2020, after reportedly holding talks on Friday. The striker has scored 17 goals in 30 matches in the second tier this season, setting a record for goals scored by an American in Germany. The standout performances for Union have not only won Wood a place in the 40-man preliminary squad for next month's Copa America, but also brought him to the attention of a wider audience in Germany. Hamburg rounded off their 2015-16 season with a 3-1 win at Augsburg as the club finished 10th in Germany's top tier. Wood said on Union Berlin's official website: "I can only thank everyone here for the support this year. At Union, I got a lot of trust and won a lot of minutes. I was able to make the next step here and also to win the confidence you need as a forward to score goals. It makes me proud that I have become a part of the club's history with my goals." He added on Hamburg's official website: "I am delighted to get the chance to play at this traditional club. The talks with those responsible, especially coach Bruno Labbadia, went really well. I had a good feeling straight away that this is the right step and the right club for me. "By now, Germany has become my home away from home. It's every youth player's dream to play as high as possible, and in Germany that's the Bundesliga. Thus it's a dream turned into reality. I definitely dare to play [in the] Bundesliga. You always want to improve." Union's sporting director Helmut Schulte said: "Bobby's a young forward who caught attention with his style of play and his goals. His path directly leads into Bundesliga and we wish him all the best for that. We have clarity early and the opportunity to fill the forward position. That's a good situation for all sides and everyone involved can be proud." ESPN FC's Germany correspondent Stephan Uersfeld contributed to this report.
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