It’s official: Sebastian Rudy has transferred to Schalke 04

After weeks of rumor and speculation, Bayern Munich has sold Sebastian Rudy to Schalke 04. The midfielder will move to Gelsenkirchen for a rumored €16 million transfer fee, which should satisfy most Bayern supporters.

Both clubs released tweets announcing the move, which has been expected for days. Once RB Leipzig bowed out of the running for Rudy, Schalke became the front runner and the most sensible destination for all of the parties involved.

Earlier in the day, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that the midfielder had his medical examination in Gelsinkirchen ahead of the move and that everything was expected to be finalized once the results were cleared:

I can confirm that Sebstian Rudy has now had his medical examination in Gelsenkirchen. If he passes it and the supervisory board approves the deal, then it’s done. I wish him all the best. He’s a great guy, I have to say.

The transfer is a great business deal for Bayern. For a player that the club signed on a free transfer last summer, being able to sell him a year later for roughly €16 million is fantastic work, especially considering he didn’t receive nearly as many minutes as he would’ve liked in the squad. Anytime you can turn a fringe squad player into a massive profit is a big win, and Bayern Munich have proven on numerous occasions that they’re experts at this trade.

Remember: A transfer within the Bundesliga isn’t the same as a transfer in the Premier League where relegation candidates are rich enough to regularly splash £20+ million on players. Schalke’s record transfer of Breel Embolo was only an estimated €25 million, and they finished second behind Bayern last season, albeit 21 points behind Bayern.

Rudy was never going to get enough playing time to satisfy a Germany international. Rudy will also turn 29 years old during the current season, so he’s not getting any younger. This is a move to get some playing time, so it’s quite difficult to blame him for wanting the move. Niko Kovac has Thiago Alcantara, James Rodriguez, Javi Martinez, Corentin Tolisso, Leon Goretzka and Renato Sanches all at his disposal as natural center-mids, so consistent minutes would’ve been difficult to come by for Rudy. At Schalke, there’s not nearly as much competition in the central midfield position, so he’s got a far better chance of establishing himself as a regular starter, bolstering his fortunes on the German national team.

This post was updated at 2:30PM EST.