Ten-Million-Man Farfán Joins Rutten’s Schalke

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Uefa Cup: Jefferson Farfan, Tottenham Hotspur - PSV Eindhoven (PA)

Voetbal International magazine exclusively reports today that Schalke have reached an agreement with the Eredivisie champions to release the Peruvian international from his contract, which is set to expire on June 30, 2010.  

Four-year deal

The article, reproduced by several Dutch and German media, also reveals that the 23-year-old forward has agreed to a four-year-deal and will become Schalke’s first major signing since Rutten took over the helm at the club.  

Farfán joined PSV Eindhoven from Alianza for 1.5 million in the summer of 2004 and in the years that followed scored an impressive 67 goals in 170 Boeren outings, helping them add four straight Eredivisie trophies and a Beker title to their honours list.  

Engelaar transfer to fall through?

The Gelsenkirchen club were hoping that another footballer well acquainted with Rutten would soon join them too. But now Ollie Engelaar’s transfer is in doubt, as Kicker suggests that Twente chairman Joop Munstermann is asking for a higher fee.  

Schalke manager Andreas Müller told the magazine that negotiations have in fact been “terminated”, even though German website Sport 1 insists that the move could materialise at a later stage. Engelaar is in Switzerland as part of the Netherlands national side and says that he’s made no final decision, even though he had earlier admitted he would favour a move to Schalke.  

“The clubs must reach an agreement,” the international central midfielder said. However, should that not happen Engelaar does not exclude the possibility of joining Ajax, who have been chasing his signature since January.  

Panos Bletsos, Goal.com