On Monday it was confirmed that Emil Balayev would join Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of his current contract with Neftchi Baku.
Eintracht's Sporting Director Bruno Hübner announced the deal, with the Azerbaijan stopper arriving from the current Azerbaijan Cup winners in January. He completed a three-week trial in November with the Eagles and he will sign on a two year contract until 2016. A possibility for Thomas Schaaf to extend the 20-year-old goalkeeper's deal has also been added, as a further two-year extension is available to Frankfurt.
Speaking to the Azerbaijan media, Balayev said: "I'll go with high hopes after Germany. I will do the best at Eintracht to make the most of my opportunity here and do everything to achieve my goals," he also has high ambitions for himself, "I want to do all I can to become a regular in the coming six months." This seems rather unlikely with Felix Wiedwald and Kevin Trapp ahead of him in the pecking order. Although it could spell the end of Timo Hildebrand's time in Germany, as the MLS seems to be an increasingly likely destination for the 35-year-old to play out his final years.