Wouter Burger has left Stoke City.(Image: Getty Images)
Wouter Buger has left Stoke City to sign for Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The 24-year-old midfielder joined Stoke from Basel in the summer of 2023 for about £4.3 million, the highest in a frenetic summer of transfer activity. The fee paid by Hoffenheim is also undisclosed but Stoke have described it as “acceptable” and “a substantial profit”.
He has gone on to make 86 appearances, scoring five times and occasionally leading the team out as captain. He struggled for form as he played through an ankle injury in the first half of last season and almost left in January but the Potters rejected a bid of about £5m from Danish champions FC Midtjylland.
Instead he found fitness and his best levels as he emerged as a key player again under new manager Mark Robins and helped Stoke secure their status in the Championship.
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He has been with Stoke through pre-season but said farewell to his teammates on Saturday before flying to Germany. The hierarchy have clearly been impressed with how he has approached duties while knowing his club future was uncertain.
Sporting director Jon Walters said: “As was widely reported at the time, we turned down an offer for Wouter on deadline day in January which he was keen to pursue, as it wasn’t right for the club to let the transfer happen at that time.
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