Hertha land Ludvigsen

Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen has agreed to leave FK Bodø/Glimt for 1. Bundesliga side Hertha BSC Berlin.

Medical needed
The 19-year-old, seen as one of Norway’s most promising talents, has been a target for several major European clubs in recent months. Ludvigsen will have a medical in Berlin on Wednesday before completing the transfer for a fee believed to be in the region of €1.5m to €2m.

Ambitious club
"It’s great to get this cleared up," said Ludvigsen. "I think Berlin will be good for me. It’s great to go to a club that has ambitions to play in the [UEFA] Champions League. It’ll be good to try something new."

Noticed by Norway
After finalising the transfer, Ludvigsen is due in Spain to join up with the Norway squad at a training camp. The midfield player has been called up for the first time to play in a four-nation tournament in Portugal starting on 21 January.

UEFA Cup exit
Ludvigsen could make his debut for Hertha when they get their season under way again against BV Borussia Dortmund on 26 January. Hertha are sixth in the table but are in contention for a place in Europe. Their UEFA Cup campaign this season ended at the third-round stage, with a 3-0 aggregate defeat by Servette FC.

Schmidt injury
Meanwhile, defender Andreas Schmidt has returned home from the club's training camp in Spain after sustaining a knee injury during the 2-0 friendly defeat of Heerenveen.