Holtby leaving in January
January 28, 2013
Holtby will be leaving for the English Premier League immediately, Schalke and Tottenham announced on their club websites Monday. The move comes after reports in the German media of back and forth negotiations suggesting the two clubs were having difficulty reaching a deal.
"We have found the best solution for everyone involved," said Schalke Sporting Director Horst Heldt, who was reportedly in London over the weekend to finalize the deal.
It was initially announced at the beginning of January that Holtby would join Spurs in June when his contract with Schalke expired.
"Lewis indicated that he wouldn't be averse to transferring ahead of time and Schalke received a decent transfer fee five months before his contract expires," Horst said. "We wish Lewis all the best and much luck in the future."
Holtby first joined Schalke from Alemannia Aachen in 2009, and spent parts of 2010 and 2011 on loan stints with Bochum and Mainz. While at Mainz, he formed a particularly successful partnership with current Germany international Andre Schürrle, improbably leading the club to European competition.
The longtime captain of Germany's Under-21 team, Holtby has also made three appearances for the senior national team.
His final game for Schalke was a 0-0 draw with Augsburg on Saturday. He made 55 league appearances in total for the club.