VfL Wolfsburg have completed the signing of Ismail Azzaoui from Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur.
Less than 24 hours after the departure of Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester City, Klaus Allofs and Dieter Hecking have responded by signing the 17-year-old Belgian youth international.
Azzaoui, who can play both centrally and on either flank, will be monitored closely before deciding if the youngster will join the first or second team.
“He’s a young player who has the potential,” Klaus Allofs told the club’s website.
“We’ve been following Azzaoui’s progress for a long time now,” said Allofs. “We will get a more precise and complete picture of his current level over the next few weeks and will then decide which of our teams he will begin playing in.”
Coming through the ever impressive youth academy at RSC Anderlecht, Azzaoui has featured 26 times for the Belgian youth sides, scoring six eight goals before sealing a move to Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur.
The 17-year-old represented both Under-18 and Under-21 level for London club, as well as featuring in the FA Youth Cup.
On August 12, Azzaoui took to social media to tweet: “Need to make a big decision, no easy to decide…”
Azzaoui will wear the number 38 jersey for Wolfsburg.
Could Julian Draxler be next?
Wolfsburg are putting the De Bruyne money to use, with German newspaper, Bild, reporting that last season’s Bundesliga runners-up are close to signing Schalke 04’s Julian Draxler.
The fee is believed to be around €35 million plus add-ons, which Horst Heldt could put to use by signing Anderlecht’s Dennis Praet.
Draxler, 21, caught the eye of manager’s during the 2012/13 season, scoring 10 Bundesliga goals in 24 appearances, despite having already made his league debut two years prior.
The German international started just eight Bundesliga games last season, missing a chunk through injury. The attacking midfielder has already found the back of the net this season, scoring in Schalke’s 1-1 draw with Bundesliga new boys, SV Darmstadt 98.