Klaas-Jan Huntelaar agrees to join Schalke 04

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the first big-name player to move clubs on the final day of the current transfer window after joining Bundesliga club Schalke 04 from Milan yesterday.

The Holland international, 27, has made a 13 million euros switch to Gelsenkirchen – joining former Real Madrid team-mate Raul, who signed earlier this summer.

Schalke boss Felix Magath told Bild newspaper: “Negotiations were tougher than expected. I am happy to have Klaas-Jan. He will help us.”

Huntelaar has failed to fully establish himself at first Real and then Milan since leaving Ajax in January 2009, scoring 15 goals in 50 appearances in that time.

But he was prolific during his time in Amsterdam, finding the net 80 times in 104 games after joining from AGOVV Apeldoorn.

“Klaas-Jan wants to continue his career at Schalke. Schalke and Milan have agreed on a transfer fee of about €13 million,” read an article on his personal website, www.klaasjanhuntelaar.com.

“It is true I never wanted to leave Milan but that changed when Zlatan Ibrahimovic came from Barcelona,” he said.

Schalke have moved to liven up their side after losing their opening two Bundesliga games of the season.

Schalke have also agreed a fee with Atletico Madrid for Jose Manuel Jurado.

Atletico confirmed following last night’s 4-0 win over Sporting Gijon that they had agreed to sell the playmaker.

No details of the deal were announced but Spanish media are reporting that Schalke will pay around 13 million euros for the 24-year-old, who opened the scoring against Sporting at the Vicente Calderon.