Mark Hughes is confident Bayer Leverkusen defender Philipp Wollscheid will join Stoke City on loan this week.
Stoke have agreed terms with Bayer and the City manager expects the centre-half to bolster his squad as he looks to push on into the top half of the table.
Hughes told the club website: "It is a deal that is likely to happen and we are likely to see him here early next week I would suggest.
"He has superb quality and in my opinion he is a very good footballer, so we are very pleased to have agreed the terms of the deal.
"He has moved for decent money in the past and he has played for the reigning world champions, so he has real good pedigree."
Wollscheid joined Leverkusen in 2012 and made 51 Bundesliga appearances, including four in last season's Champions League campaign. He joined Mainz on loan for the rest of the season and made five appearances, but is now expected to move to England.
The 6ft3in centre-back also featured twice for Germany in 2013.
