LONDON: Germany Under-21 captain Lewis Holtby yesterday quit Bundesliga side Schalke 04 to join Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, the north London club confirmed.
“We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Schalke for the immediate transfer of Lewis Holtby,” Spurs said in a statement.
With his Schalke contract to expire in June, the 22-year-old had already committed to joining Spurs for next season having signed until 2018, but the two clubs have agreed a deal to take the midfielder to England immediately.
Schalke’s general manager Horst Heldt met Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in London over the weekend to finalise the transfer which is reported to be worth 1.75m euros (£1.50m, US$2.35m).
“We have found the best solution for all parties,” Heldt said yesterday.
“Lewis had signalled to us that he wasn’t against going earlier and Schalke 04 has received a decent transfer fee.”
Holtby’s replacement, 29-year-old Brazil midfielder Bastos, will undergo a medical check in Gelsenkirchen on Monday and is set to join on loan from French first division side Lyon with an option to buy, according to German daily Bild.
Schalke face Turkey’s Galatasaray in the Champions League’s last 16 on February 20 in Istanbul and are currently sixth in the Bundesliga. AFP
