Schalke 04 have confirmed that they will sign striker Mark Uth in the summer when his contract with TSG 1899 Hoffenhiem expires.

Uth, who has scored 12 times for his current club this season, has signed a four-year deal, running until 2022, with the Royal Blues.

Nine goals in 16 games this season

The 26-year-old, who previously played for 1. FC Köln, SC Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo, has made a real impact for Hoffenheim since they brought him back from the Netherlands in 2015.

He has scored 24 goals for them in the Bundesliga, 28 in all competitions, although his best return has come this season. So far this campaign, he has hit nine goals in the league plus one in the UEFA Europa League and one in each of the UEFA Champions League play-off games against Liverpool in August.

For Hoffenheim his goals have helped to fill the void left by an out-of-sorts Sandro Wagner, who had led their attack last season and whose move to Bayern Munich was confirmed last month. Julian Nagelsmann will hope that his impending departure will not be a distraction for the rest of the season, whilst come the summer the club will have to deal with the departure of yet another player from the squad that finished fourth last season.

There has been some good news for Hoffenheim though, with young midfielder Dennis Geiger having extended his contract this week until 2022.

Another weapon for Schalke’s attacking arsenal

Speaking on Hoffenheim’s website, Uth said he is “very thankful” for the chance they have given him to prove himself “in one of the best leagues in the world,” but that he would now “like to start a new chapter in my career.” He made it clear though that he will “give my all” for the club until he leaves and he hopes “to be able to score lots of goals and contribute to the team’s success."

Meanwhile Christian Heidel, Schalke’s Sporting Director, is “delighted” to have signed Uth and believes that he “is currently the Bundesliga’s most prolific German forward” – no German has scored more than his nine goals in the league, although Bayer Leverkusen’s Kevin Volland has scored the same total.

He added that he will “strengthen our attacking options even more from next summer,” and indeed for head coach Domenico Tedesco, Uth adds to what becoming an array of attacking talent. He already had Guido Burgstaller, Breel Embolo and Franco Di Santo at his disposal, whilst Cedric Teuchert joined from 1. FC Nürnberg last week.

Quotes via TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Schalke 04.

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