Tottenham Transfer News: Spurs Land Immediate Deal for Schalke's Lewis Holtby

Making a push to qualify for a Champions League spot this season, Tottenham hasn't remained idle in January. In a move that will surely thrill Spurs' fans, the team has announced the immediate transfer of Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby. 

From TottenhamHotspur.com:

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We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Schalke for the immediate transfer of Lewis Holtby.

The Germany Under-21 captain, who had already agreed terms to join the Club this coming summer, has made 27 appearances for the Bundesliga side this season scoring four times.

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The 22-year-old had signed with Spurs earlier this month to join the team following this season, but Phil McNulty of BBC Sport reported earlier on Monday that a £1.5 million agreement had been worked out to bring Holtby to North London before the January transfer deadline closed.

Holtby has made 27 appearances for Schalke this season, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists. 

The youngster is a classy midfielder, combining a deft touch, excellent vision and creativity in his movement and passing.

There's little doubt the team wanted to add Holtby before the summer once it was learned earlier this month that Sandro was lost for the season and would require surgery on his right knee. I would expect Holtby to see a lot of playing time immediately for Spurs. 

Holtby will probably feature in a more attacking role for Spurs—he's most comfortable in attacking positions—but he's has played the role of a deeper-lying playmaker or defensive midfielder in the past. It's not his strong suit, but he can handle the responsibility.

In other words, he's versatile enough to play well no matter where he is utilized in the midfield. Spurs made one of the moves of the transfer window when they secured him for the summer earlier this month.

Now, the team may have just saved its chances to qualify for a Champions League spot by adding him for the rest of the season.