Edin Dzeko has left Fiorentina to join Schalke on a short-term contract until the end of the season.
The 39-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina forward, who has only started two Serie A games this season, has reportedly signed a performance-based contract with the Bundesliga 2 leaders, which does not include an option to extend beyond this summer.
The move marks a return to Germany for Dzeko, who spent three and a half seasons with Wolfsburg – with whom he won the Bundesliga title in 2009 – before joining Manchester City in January 2011.
Edin Dzeko: ‘I only wanted to come to Schalke’
“I arrived last night,” Dzeko said. “All in all it took almost three weeks, because a lot of things had to fall into place. But from day one my heart was set on it. I just wanted to come to Schalke.”
Dzeko joined Fiorentina on a free transfer last summer after signing a two-year contract with Fenerbahce. His one-year contract with the Viola included an option for a further year, but has now been terminated by mutual agreement.
“ACF Fiorentina announces that it has definitively sold the performance rights of player Edin Dzeko to FC Schalke 04,” the club said in a statement.
Dzeko will now try to return Schalke to the German top flight for the first time since 2023.
Dzeko: ‘Many people said I was crazy’
“A lot of people said I was crazy, but I don’t see it that way,” said the Bosnia and Herzegovina captain. “I am fully committed to Schalke. From my time at Wolfsburg I know how great it is to play here.”
The forward added that the presence of head coach Miron Muslic, who has led Schalke to ten wins in eighteen league matches this season, played a role in his decision to leave Italy.
“We are both from Bosnia [and Herzegovina] and we have been away from home for a long time,” Dzeko said. “We have gone our separate ways. Miron is a young coach who showed early on what he is capable of. I’m here to help the team move forward.
“It is impressive to see how the team has developed this season after some difficult years. Now I want to give everything so that we can be successful together in the second half of the season.”
Why Dzeko could be ready to set a new Bundesliga 2 record
Dzeko scored 66 league goals in 111 games for Wolfsburg, a club record in the Bundesliga. Should he increase his tally on German soil for Schalke, he would overtake Helmut Haller as the oldest Bundesliga 2 scorer in history.
Dzeko, who won two Premier League titles with City, spent seven seasons in Serie A with Roma and Internazionale before joining Fenerbahçe. He arrives at Schalke with the club four points ahead of second-placed Elversberg.
“After our first contact, Edin quickly made it clear how much he wanted to hit the road,” says Youri Mulder, director of professional football at Schalke. “With Edin we are bringing in a striker who has performed at the highest level throughout his career.
“In addition to his experience as a leader, our team will benefit from his abilities as a target and goalscorer. During our conversations, he made it very clear how hungry he is for a successful second half of the season with us, and we are very much looking forward to that.”
Dzeko could make his Schalke debut on Saturday at Arena AufSchalke against Kaiserslautern.
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