Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia has confirmed the club are closing in on a deal to sign Japan international striker Shinji Okazaki.
The Bundesliga club have been long-term admirers of Okazaki and are now trying to agree a deal ahead of the January transfer window opening.
Okazaki is available on a free transfer from Shimizu S-Pulse and is expected in Stuttgart early next month to undergo a medical.
Labbadia told Bild: “He is a very versatile player who can play across the board in attack.
“But we will have to wait and see. He would miss the entire preparation and the first three games of the second half of the season due to the Asian Cup.
Mensur Mujdza has signed a new contract with Freiburg to keep him at Badenova-Stadion until 2014.
The versatile right-sided Bosnia international’s previous deal was due to expire this summer, but a three-year extension has been agreed.
Mujdza featured for Freiburg as they returned from the Bundesliga’s winter break with a 2-2 draw at St Pauli on Saturday and general manager Dirk Dufner is happy that a deal was reached with the 26-year-old.
Dufner told Deutsche Presseagentur: “We have signed a new contract with Mensur Mujdza.
“He will be staying on at our club beyond the end of the season. He has been going through a fine development at our club and fully deserves the new contract.”
Der SC Freiburg greift nach einem Platz in der Euro League – der VfB Stuttgart bangt indes um den Klassenerhalt: Doch beim Derby am Sonntag haben die Stuttgarter Heimvorteil. Und da spricht die Statistik eine eindeutige Sprache.
Der VfB Stuttgart sucht im Abstiegskampf den Schulterschlu