USMNT's John Brooks signs with Wolfsburg for record fee

Wolfsburg has completed the signing of John Brooks from Hertha Berlin for a fee that can reportedly reach $22 million.

The United States international has signed a five-year deal at the Volkswagen Arena in a deal said to be worth an initial $19 million before add-ons are taken into account.

The 24-year-old defender came through the ranks of the Hertha youth academy and had developed into an important first-team player since making his debut in August 2012. Brooks was keen to take the next step in his career, though, and will now move to Wolfsburg after becoming the most expensive USA player in history.

"It was not an easy decision to leave my hometown, but I really wanted to join Wolfsburg after holding talks with [head coach Andries] Jonker and [sporting director Olaf] Rebbe," said Brooks.

"They did not need long to convince me of their plans for the future. I want to play my part in helping Wolfsburg build on the successes from before this season."

Wolfsburg only narrowly avoided the drop to the 2. Bundesliga this season after seeing off Eintracht Braunschweig in the relegation playoff, but they finished as runners-up in the top flight as recently as 2014-15.