Confirmed: Krauß to Schalke with automatic purchase clause
Newly promoted Schalke 04 are the official confirmed winners in the race for highly sought-after German U21 international Tom Krauß.
FC Schalke 04 have gotten the recently reported upon Tom Krauß deal over the line. The 20-year-old RB Leipzig man heads to Gelsenkirchen on loan for the 2022/23 campaign. Sky Germany presently reports that the rumored obligatory purchase clause is definitely part of the deal. Should Schalke manage to avoid relegation, Krauß will join the Königsblauen permanently for a transfer fee of €3 million and receive a contract through 2027.
"We are delighted to have been able to sign Tom Krauß, one of the greatest German talents of his vintage," S04 sporting director Rouven Schröder noted in a statement, "He's strong strong direct duels and has great timing. He also runs hard and possesses above average speed for his [central midfield] position."
New trainer Frank Kramer has some familiarity with the youngster, whom he once coached at the Germany U18 level.
"Tom was my captain in the U18 national team and a very important player," Kramer noted, "He reads the game well and acts rather than reacting. Even back then, he was someone who takes responsibility takes on a leadership role; qualities that we absolutely need for the fight to stay in the class. I'm looking forward to working with him again."
Krauß' importance to his new club has been immediately verified with the no. 6 shirt. Schalke's new midfield will very likely consist of a double-six setup, with the m ore offensively minded Krauß venturing forward whilst the newly acquired Florent Mollet tends to the back.
Earlier on Friday, Schalke also confirmed two other transactions related to their new top division roster.
Tom Krauß trägt in der kommenden Saison das #S04-Trikot mit der Nummer 6! 🆕
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) June 10, 2022
Der Mittelfeldmann wird für ein Jahr mit Option zur Weiterverpflichtung von @RBLeipzig ausgeliehen.
Herzlich willkommen auf Schalke, Tom! 🙌🏽