German national football team goalkeeper Jens Lehmann completed his long-anticipated transfer from London side Arsenal to VfB Stuttgart, the German club confirmed Tuesday, dpa reported.
The 38-year-old, who had lost his regular place to Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia in Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger's set-up, made the switch on a free transfer, and has been hired until the end of the coming season, the club said.
Lehmann has been regular German side keeper since replacing Oliver Kahn for the 2006 World Cup, and has been capped 55 times. He played for German clubs Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund before going to London in 2003.
He joined the national squad in Switzerland Tuesday for European Championship preparations. "I'm looking forward to VfB and the Bundesliga," Lehmann said, adding that his talks with the new club had been "very agreeable".
Stuttgart's director of sport Horst Heldt said of the veteran keeper: "He fits our needs perfectly, and we're convinced he'll quickly become a key part of the team."