Brentford have paid in the region of £22m to turn Kevin Schade’s loan spell into a permanent move.
Schade joined from Freiburg on loan in January and made 19 appearances for Thomas Frank’s side.
The 21-year-old, who has featured twice for Germany, has now signed a five-year contract with the Bees for a “club record fee”.
Brentford director of football Phil Giles said: “To have him with us now until 2028 is fantastic for the club.
“The club’s previous record signing was Keane Lewis-Potter, who joined from Hull last summer for £16m, potentially rising to £20m.
Giles added: “When Kevin joined us on loan in January, we agreed with Freiburg that the move would become permanent this summer if certain conditions were met, which included Brentford remaining a Premier League team for next season.
“We have all been pleased with Kevin’s contribution so far, both on the pitch and his professionalism off it.”
Frank handed Schade his debut in a 1-0 loss against West Ham in the FA Cup on 7 January at Gtech Community Stadium.
Schade has been called up to the Germany Under-21s squad for the European Championships this summer, which take place in Georgia and Romania between 21 June and 8 July. (BBC)