The 27-year-old Schalke 04 captain has decided to stay at the Veltins Arena, despite apparent interest and bids from foreign clubs.
At this morning's unveiling of new Royal Blues manager, André Breitenreiter, Schalke sporting director Hordst Heldt confirmed to the various media outlets that the German international is set to remain in Gelsenkirchen, commenting: "Benedikt Höwedes will remain at Schalke. We had two offers from abroad, we are happy he decided to stay."
Breitenreiter happy to have Höwedes
The former SC Paderborn manager, Breitenreiter added to Heldt's message saying, "It is very important for me to have a player like Höwedes on my side". Although he couldn't steer the Benteler Arena side clear of relegation in their debut Bundesliga season, Breitenreiter is the man tasked with rebuilding Schalke's image and reputation following a turgid time under Roberto Di Matteo. He commented on the job at hand, stating: "We have to find our unity both on and off the pitch, only then can we play successful football again."
It looks like Höwedes won't be making a Premier League switch
The news comes only a week after fellow German international and former teammate to Höwedes, Mesut Özil claimed the Schalke captain would flourish in the English Premier League. The defender has a contract up until 2017, which includes a buyout clause. Many European teams, including Manchester United and Arsenal were thought to be interested in the World Cup Winner.
Höwedes is a product of the famed Schalke youth system and has appeared in a total of 270 games for the Royal Blues. He was awarded the captain's armband in 2013 after a string of consistent performances over a number of years.