Dynamo Kyiv attacking midfielder Younes Belhanda is set to don royal blue, as he is headed on a loan lasting the rest of the 2015-16 season to FC Schalke 04 of the German Bundesliga.
Quality addition for Royal Blues
Belhanda, 25, has been with the Ukrainian champions since 2013, scoring eight goals and recording 10 assists in 56 Premier Liga appearances. He now just awaits the result of his medical and transfer paperwork. The French-born Moroccan international is headed to Orlando, Florida to train with his new teammates over the winter break.
"If all the tests go smoothly and we complete all the paperwork, we can assume that Younes Belhanda will be with us on loan until the end of the current season," Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt announced in an official club statement.
Belhanda's senior career began with Montpellier in France, where he made 127 Ligue 1 appearances and netted 26 goals before transferring to Kyiv for a fee of £5.95 million. The club won their first and only league title in 2012 and Belhanda was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for his contributions.
"We want to increase the competition within the squad," said Schalke manager Andre Breitenreiter in the club statement. "Younes Belhanda can play attacking midfield both centrally and out wide. He is quick, dynamic and also has a good goal and assist tally."
Belhanda also was awarded Ligue 1 Goal of the Year for the 2011-12 season for his magnificent bicycle kick off the crossbar and in against Marseille. 'Dynamic' he certainly is.
Where Schalke stand
FC Schalke 04 currently are sixth in the German league table, knotted with fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen in points but behind in goal difference. The team is just two points out of that heavily contested fourth position, which is currently held halfway through the season by Borussia Mönchengladbach (29 points).
The Royal Blues, in other news, have sent young Turkish defender Kaan Ayhan to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan set to expire after the 2015-16 term.