Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have this afternoon officially announced the signing of highly-regarded young defender Thilo Kehrer from Schalke 04.
PSG’s Jerome Boateng chase
Capital giants PSG were long known to have been on the lookout for defensive reinforcements this summer, with Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng having emerged as the club’s first-choice target over the last couple of months.
A report from Paris United even went as far as to state that the German stopper had already agreed personal terms with PSG, leaving just an agreement between the French powerhouse and Bayern Munich to be found.
In the end, though, Bayern proved stubborn negotiators, amid suggestions across the European media that the Bavarians demanded a fee of between 50 and 60 million Euro for the former Manchester City man.
As such, with Boateng set to turn 30 in a few weeks’ time, and the World Cup winner having become increasingly injury-prone over recent seasons, PSG eventually turned their attentions elsewhere.
In an absolute bolt from the blue last Sunday afternoon, reports emerged that the capital giants were on the verge of clinching a deal for young Schalke defender Thilo Kehrer.
Kehrer, a versatile 21-year-old defender who generally lined out as a central defender for Schalke but can also fill in at full-back or even in midfield when required, has spent his two-year senior career to date plying his trade at the Arena AufSchalke, having come up through the club’s youth ranks.
After managing a respectable 12 Bundesliga starts during his debut campaign with Die Knappen’s first-team, Kehrer went on to establish himself as an absolute mainstay in the backline of the German giants last season, starting 27 of Schalke’s 34 Bundesliga fixtures as Domenico Tedesco’s men finished in 2nd-place in the German top-flight.
Official: PSG sign Kehrer
And, despite his relative inexperience at the top-level of European football, Kehrer’s immense potential has today seen him officially depart Schalke, after PSG agreed to fork out a reported 37 million Euro to clinch his signature.
The move has been confirmed across PSG’s social media platforms, with Kehrer having chosen the vacant no.4 as his jersey number, and put pen to paper on a 5-year contract at the Parc des Princes:
Speaking in an interview with PSG’s official website, the 21-year-old confirmed his delight at having secured a move to one of the giants of European football:
‘It is with a lot of emotions and ambitions that I join Paris Saint-Germain today. Throughout Europe, the strength and attractiveness of the Parisian project are known to all. Nowhere else, I could not imagine finding a better club to continue my progress and achieve my goals. I am going to meet here teammates of an extraordinary level and a coach who has done a very good job in Germany these last years. All will bring me a lot and I also hope to quickly bring them my qualities! I am also eager to discover the Parc des Princes, one of the legendary stadiums of European football.’
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