Julian Weigl has agreed to join Portuguese champions Benfica, leaving Borussia Dortmund after four-and-a-half-years at the club.

"I would like to thank my teammates, the Dortmund staff and all the fans of this great club for a great time and I will always have Borussia Dortmund at heart," Weigl told the club's website.

The midfielder made 171 appearances for Dortmund and won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup during his spell at the Westfalenstadion.

Borussia Dortmund and @SLBenfica have agreed to terms on the transfer of Julian Weigl.

We thank Julian for his dedication and wish him the best of luck in Portugal! pic.twitter.com/TS7E0WGUSR

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) December 31, 2019

"Julian came to us with this wish, and we agreed -- also because of his services to the club," Dortmund's sports director Michael Zorc said. "We wish him all the best for his future!"

Weigl leaves Dortmund just two days after the club announced the signing of Erling Haaland from Austrian side FC Salzburg.

Dortmund are in fourth place in the Bundesliga table, while Benfica sit at the top of the Portuguese league with a four-point lead.