Schalke acquires Afellay on loan from Barca

Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Schalke acquired Netherlands winger Ibrahim Afellay on loan from Barcelona on Friday.

Afellay, 26, completed a medical and joins the German club on a one-year loan deal. He played for current Schalke coach Huub Stevens at PSV Eindhoven.

"I'm looking forward to working with Ibrahim. He's a special talent who can play in several positions," Stevens said. "Ibrahim played through the middle at Eindhoven but he can also operate on either flank."

Afellay played for PSV from 2004-10, and joined Barca in January 2011. He has played 41 times for the Netherlands.