Bundesliga
Hoffenheim beef up midfield
Christian Ilzer's side have signed Dutch defensive midfielder Wouter Burger from Stoke City of the English Championship.
Burger has agreed a long-term deal with Hoffenheim ahead of 2025/26, as they look to improve on last season's 15th-placed finish.
The 24-year-old's arrival follows hot on the heels of Anton Stach's departure to promoted English Premier League club Leeds United.
"Wouter is a typical box-to-box player. He is also in the prime of his footballing career and, at the age of 24, has already gained a lot of experience," said Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker.
"Following the departure of Anton Stach, we wanted to make further additions to our midfield. We are convinced that we have found a player in Wouter who has exactly the qualities we were looking for in this position."
Burger developed in the youth ranks at Feyenoord before joining Basel in summer 2021 and then switching to England two years later.
The defensive midfielder made 78 appearances for Stoke over two seasons in the Championship, captaining the side nine times and winning the club's Player of the Month Award as recently as April.
He will wear the No.18 shirt at Hoffenheim, who begin their Bundesliga campaign away to Bayer Leverkusen on 23 August.