Robin Gosens joins Schalke on loan from Fiorentina with option to buy

Schalke have signed former Germany left winger Robin Gosens on loan from Italian club Fiorentina. The 32-year-old arrives on a deal that can become permanent if certain conditions are met, the Bundesliga club announced on Saturday.

Gosens brings top-level experience to Gelsenkirchen. A Germany international with more than 40 caps, he previously turned out for Atalanta, Inter, Union Berlin and Fiorentina. The move returns him to the Bundesliga, the league in which he first made his name with Union Berlin, and reunites him with the demands of German football after spells in Italy.

A Euro 2020 semifinalist with Germany, Gosens built his reputation as one of Europe's most dangerous attacking full-backs during his Atalanta years, where his late runs and goals from wing-back became a trademark. His versatility, comfortable on either flank and as a wide midfielder, gives Schalke a proven option in the wide areas as they adjust to life back in the top flight.

Schalke, freshly promoted, are assembling a squad built on seasoned campaigners to avoid the risk of an immediate return to the second tier. Gosens' arrival is the latest signal of intent as the club targets stability in the Bundesliga following a turbulent period in the lower division.

The winger will hope to rediscover that Atalanta form and help Schalke establish themselves among Germany's elite once again, giving the coach an extra weapon down the left flank.

The modest outlay fits a strategy that prizes international experience for a club freshly returned to the top flight. Gosens, who already knows the German game and language, can also act as a mentor to the squad's youngsters while adding quality down the left flank.

Sources

• AP News — Schalke signs former Germany winger Robin Gosens on loan from Fiorentina: https://apnews.com/article/gosens-schalke-transfer-fiorentina-c4f39c6af79e29465e5ed8103696ea3e