Manchester City forward Rabbi Matondo is set to join German side Schalke 04 on a fee believed to be around €13million fee [£11.29million] this is according to the Telegraph.
The Wales teenage international is the latest young British footballer to seek his fortune in the Bundesliga having decided that his professional development is best served there.
The two clubs are expected to make the announcement in the next few days with just personal terms to be agreed between the 18-year-old and the Bundesliga team, who will face City in the Champions League round of 16 next month.
Matondo was capped by Ryan Giggs against Albania in November having taken the opposite childhood journey to the former Manchester United great. Matondo was born in Manchester but his family moved to Cardiff, where he grew up.
There was huge interest in Matondo when it became clear that he would not sign a new contract at City, where his current deal runs out in the summer of next year. While Borussia Monchengladbach, RB Leipzig, and Hoffenheim all explored the possibility of a deal it was Schalke who showed the willingness to meet City’s valuation on the player.
There was a late intervention from AC Milan, whose sporting director Leonardo, the former Brazil international, is also keen to tap into the talented new generation of English players and wanted to sign Matondo.
The winger is regarded as one of the quickest of City’s professionals, comparable with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane. The Germany international Sane left Schalke for City in August 2016 at 20 years old and his progress has been one of the barriers to Matondo establishing himself as a first team player.
He is still yet to play for the first team at City and like contemporaries Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who wants to leave Chelsea for Bayern Munich, Matondo sees Germany as the place to launch his professional career.
Matondo was acquired by Manchester City from Cardiff City at 16 for a fee above the Elite Player Performance Plan tariffs.