Kjaer moves from Palermo to Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg have beaten off competition from the English Premier League to land Danish international defender Simon Kjaer, the German first division side announced on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, who has spent the last two seasons at top Italian side Palermo, has signed a four-year contract. No fee has been announced but the deal is believed to be worth 12 million euros.

Wolfsburg, the 2009 Bundesliga champions, lured the highly regarded young Dane in the face of rival interest from Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Italian giants Juventus were also interested in the player.

“This transfer means I have the chance to play for a top club,” Kjaer told the Wolsburg website.

“I think this is the right step for me. First, I need to secure a regular place in this strong team which can challenge at the top of the Bundesliga.”

Kjaer has played 11 times for Denmark. He appeared in their opening two matches at the World Cup in South Africa but, after picking up a yellow card in each, missed the crucial third game against Japan.