Maximilian Wöber has admitted he didn’t hesitate to pack his bags to leave Leeds United for Schalke 04 this week.
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung report comments from the 28-year-old today defender after he sealed his exit from Elland Road.
Quick Leeds exit
The newspaper explains that Maximilian Wöber has been busy working on making a positive impression on the German side this week after sealing his arrival three days ago.
He’s joined the Bundesliga side on a free transfer after terminating his deal at Leeds United. On the face of it, he’s an exciting signing for Schalke. But there is a mood between ‘anticipation and scepticism’ at his new club.
That comes because he’s only played eleven competitive matches over the past two years for Leeds and on loan at Werder Bremen. He also missed out on the World Cup with Austria as a result.
He’s not bothered about any of that, though. Instead, he insists he packed his bags quickly to make a return to Germany.
“I got the green light relatively spontaneously,” he said.
“I quickly packed my bags and underwent medical checks. Now I’m very glad that the first day or two are behind me.”
Contract terms
Despite the quick move and eagerness, Maximilian Wöber has had to take a step back to get the move he wanted.
Given his injury record, he’s only been handed a one-year deal. That is heavily based on performance incentives, with a base salary in the lower third of the squad. He can significantly increase his earnings through appearances and points scored.
But according to director of football Frank Baumann, that is something the former Leeds man was firmly on board with.
“Naturally, I made inquiries in Bremen about how the injury occurred and how he is rated in sporting terms,” he added.
“With a player who has had a bit of bad luck, you try to minimize the risk regarding salary and contract duration. He (Wöber) was quickly on board with the salary and the contract length. We felt that he really wanted to join us and was convinced he would get back to playing regularly.”
