Schalke sign Ciprian Marica

Schalke have signed forward Ciprian Marica on free transfer, a fortnight after his contract at Stuttgart was cancelled.

The 25-year-old Romania international has signed a two-year deal at the Royal Blues.

"He knows the Bundesliga, speaks many languages and, above all, is a free transfer," said Schalke's sporting director Horst Heldt.

"We are happy the transfer has come off, because several well-known European clubs were also very interested in signing the player."

Marica's Stuttgart contract, which had been due to expire next summer, was terminated by mutual consent earlier this month.