Stoke City completes loan signing of Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen

Stoke City has added some depth to their defense.

The club announced Wednesday they completed the signing of German defender Philipp Wollscheid on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen, with a view to make the move permanent in the summer.

The 25-year-old Wollscheid, who spent the first half of the season on loan with Mainz, has two caps with Germany to his name.

"Philipp has an impressive pedigree in the game. He is keen to make an impact in the Premier League and we're delighted he has chosen to join Stoke City," chief executive Tony Scholes said.

"He's joining us on loan, which gives him an opportunity to get to know the Club and us an opportunity to get to know Philipp."