Well, that came out of nowhere.
With nary a hint of a potential move to the French capital, Schalke announced on Sunday that center-half Thilo Kehrer was on his way to Paris Saint-Germain.
Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel revealed that the two parties have agreed to a deal after weeks of discussions. "In the end we decided to go for the transfer on financial grounds. Particularly, since the player’s contract is due to expire next year," Heidel offered. “During this period Thilo Kehrer has been loyal to the club."
According to German outlet Bild, the defending Ligue 1 champ tabled €37 million for Kehrer, marking a generous fee for a Schalke side that have become notorious for letting the likes of Leon Goretzka, Sead Kolasinac, and Joel Matip leave on free transfers.
#Heidel: "@KehrerThilo will leave Schalke. Rarely have I known such a loyal and well-to-do young man. We had already agreed a contract extension." #s04 pic.twitter.com/X8EhpWqKui
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) August 12, 2018
Kehrer's move to PSG should all but quell reports of a potential move for Jerome Boateng, with the Bayern Munich's countryman set to become Thomas Tuchel's fourth first-team centre-half alongside Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Presnel Kimpembe.
An accomplished German youth international, Kehrer made 28 league appearances last season for Domenico Tedesco's shock second-place side, pairing 23 starts in central defence with two dalliances on the right side of midfield. The 21-year-old European Under-21 champ can also slot in at both full-back positions and as a defensive midfielder.
PSG kick-off their title defense on Sunday against Caen at the Parc des Princes.
