Leicester City flop Andrej Kramarić has joined TSG Hoffenheim on a permanent deal until 2020 after spending 18 months on loan at the Bundesliga club.
Regaining form
The winter following last, Kramarić arrived at the King Power Stadium as the club’s record signing for a fee of £9.5m, but managed to score few goals during his 18-month spell. It was reported the rags-turned-riches outfit fought off interest from then-champions Chelsea to land the Croatian international from Rijeka.
Despite only appearing twice in the Foxes’ famous title run, the 24-year old appeared in the Premier League champions’ raucous victory parade.
Since joining 1899, the out-of-favour striker has shown signs of why he was signed in the first place, scoring five goals and notching two assists in a goal-struggling side.
Whilst Leicester were dramatically grabbing the headlines, Julian Nagelsmann’s men were attempting to stave off relegation. As so, it comes as no surprise these goals were crucial to helping his new side stay in the top flight for another season.
Player delighted with switch
Speaking to the club’s official site, Kramarić was delighted: “I am delighted with the development of the team, and I enjoy it here,” and added, “The team showed a lot of trust in me, which helped me show my skills quickly.”
Suffice to say, it’s unsurprising Kramarić has opted to remain with die Kraichgauer. With competition in the form of Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa, a welcome return to England seems unlikely.
In wake of star player Kevin Volland’s departure to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Nagelsmann saw fit to pave the cracks left by his side’s most valuable player, nailing down the Leicester flop on a four-year deal and joins Benjamin Hübner, from FC Ingolstadt, at the The Rhein Neckar Arena.
Although he has had a turbulent time of late, Kramarić has been named in Croatia’s 27-man Euro 2016 squad by manager Ante Čačić, albeit awaiting the final cut, along with five other strikers.