Schalke 04 completed the signing of
Brazilian youth international defender Rafinha from Coritiba on a
four-year contract on Monday.
Schalke, who are preparing for a Champions League campaign after
finishing as runners-up to Bayern Munich last season, will pay a fee of
five million euros ($6.12 million) for the 19-year-old right-back,
according to media reports.
"This is an investment in the future," Schalke team manager Andreas
Mueller told a news conference. "He has a lot of potential and his value
will go up."
Rafinha played in the Under-20 World Championship in the Netherlands
earlier this year and scored the extra-time goal that put Germany out of
the competition in the quarter-finals.
"Schalke have great potential," said Rafinha. "There are other
Brazilians in the squad and that was also important in making this
decision."