Rakitic fills the gap at Schalke

German runners-up FC Schalke 04 have signed teenager Ivan Rakitic from FC Basel 1893 while allowing midfielder Lincoln to join Galatasaray SK.

Promising teenager
The Gelsenkirchen-based club have sold 28-year-old Brazilian Lincoln to the Turkish UEFA Cup contenders for a fee of around €5m, bringing in 19-year-old Rakitic for a similar fee. The attacking midfielder, who played for Switzerland at Under-17 level but may yet choose to play for Croatia at senior level, has signed a four-year contract. Coach Mirko Slomka said: "Ivan Rakitic can play in any position up front, scores with both feet and is very fast. He became established in a good team like Basel at an early age and wants to take on a challenge with Schalke. That impressed me in my talks with him." Schalke start their UEFA Champions League quest in the group stage having finished second in the Bundesliga.