Newly-promoted Bundesliga side Schalke are set to sign Japanese central-defender Maya Yoshida on a free transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 33-year-old is expected to fly to Germany on Tuesday ahead of undergoing a medical. Schalke’s move for Yoshida comes after a deal for Christopher Jullien broke down after failing to reach an agreement on personal terms.
Yoshida, captain of Japan, joined Italian side Sampdoria on a permanent basis in 2020 following a successful six-month loan spell. During his time in the Serie A, the central-defender has played 74 games in all competitions.
As well as missing out on Jullien, Schalke are also preparing for the departure of Malick Thiaw (21), who has attracted attention from Serie A champions Milan. Ozan Kabak is also expected to leave the club after spending last season on loan at Norwich City.
Per Transfermarkt, S04 have spent just shy of €8m this summer and would need to sell before spending any transfer fee on new arrivals at the Bundesliga club.
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