Swansea lose out on Badstuber to Stuttgart

Holger Badstuber has joined Stuttgart on a free transfer after being released by German champions Bayern Munich.

Swansea City were linked to Badstuber for much of the summer transfer window as Paul Clement, who worked briefly with the German defender from his time at Bayern Munich as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant, saw him as a valuable addition to the squad after the club barely scraped through a relegation battle last season.

However, they have missed out on Badstuber after Stuttgart snapped him up from Bayern Munich. The defender joined Bayern Munich in 2009, winning five Bundesliga titles and the Champions League. He spent last year on loan at Schalke but only managed to make 12 appearances due to injury problems. 

Stuttgart, who gained promotion to the Bundesliga after winning 2. Bundesliga title last year, released a statement on the club's official website that read: "Holger Badstuber is a VfB player with immediate effect. The 28-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Cannstatt Boys and will wear the number 28 jersey."

The club's director of marketing and sales Jochen Rottgermann added: "In Holger Badstuber, we have secured the services of a player with exceptional quality. Holger knows the Bundesliga and VfB. Along with his sporting abilities, he also adds routine and experience to our squad. We are delighted that he will be wearing the VfB jersey in the future."

The 28-year-old Badstuber was also all smiles, saying: "“No-one should ever forget their roots – and I haven’t either. VfB was and is something very special to me."