Werder defender Garcia to leave at season end- club

BERLIN ( Reuters) - Werder Bremen defender Santiago Garcia will leave the Bundesliga club at the end of the season after the two sides failed to agree on terms for a contract extension.

The 28-year-old Argentine defender played 93 league matches for them after initially joining from Italy's US Palermo on loan in 2013 and then signing a permanent deal.

"We would have very much liked to continue working together," said Werder sports director Frank Baumann in a statement on Thursday. "He fully identified with Werder and always gave it everything. Unfortunately we could not agree on a new contract."

Garcia said he would have also liked to have stayed at the northern club.

Werder are in eighth place in the league and are battling for a Europa League spot with two games left.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann)