Hoffenheim have completed the signing of Reading midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in a reported £6million deal.

Sigurdsson has signed a four-year contract with the Bundesliga club, before immediately departing to join up with the Iceland squad ahead of Euro 2012 qualifiers against Norway and Denmark.

The 20-year-old scored 16 goals in 32 games for Reading, and Hoffenheim are excited to bring him on board.

“Gylfi Sigurdsson, although only 20 years old, has a great ability to score from midfield and we still see in him huge potential to develop further,” said team manager Ernst Tanner.

Sigurdsson joined Reading as a youngster in 2005, and had loan spells at Crewe and Shrewsbury before breaking into the first team.

The player admittedd that he is facing a huge challenge.

Sigurdsson said: “I am taking a big leap, but its hopefully just one of many leaps. I say goodbye to Reading with a lot of sadness and I will miss the club a lot.

“I never expected to go to Germany but a good offer arrived, both for me and the club. The Bundesliga is a great league with a lot of strong teams and it will be exciting to play there. I am really happy with the contract and I have a great feeling about the team and everything around it. This is very exiting.

“Hoffenheim is a club on the way up and plans to win things in the future. I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t know a lot about the club at first.

“I think the style of football will suit me well. I fully understand I won’t be walking into the first 11 as the team has started the season well. I have to prepare myself for a lot competition.”

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has ended his interest in Charles N’Zogbia after claiming the Wigan winger ‘moved the goalposts’ on his demands.

Blues had agreed a club-record fee to sign the France international, but they failed to reach agreement over his personal terms after a last-minute hitch.

McLeish told the club’s official website: “We did everything that was asked of us and then the goalposts were moved at the last minute.”

N’Zogbia has been linked with a move away from the DW Stadium all summer but Wigan manager Roberto Martinez criticised McLeish on Thursday for going public over his club’s interest in the player – and claimed the Blues’ offer at that point was less than one they rejected earlier in the summer.

But N’Zogbia was given permission to talk to the Midlands outfit after Wigan confirmed on Friday they had accepted a “much-improved” offer for the 24-year-old.

Those talks came to nothing, though, and McLeish added: “It was very important to us as a club to stick to our principals and look after the long-term interests of Birmingham City as we are custodians of the club.

“We remain ambitious and committed to adding extra quality to the playing squad but this deal became one that was not in the interests of the club.

“The Board worked with me extremely hard to try and get this one over the line and I thank them for their support.”

N’Zogbia, who made his France debut earlier this month in Les Bleus’ friendly defeat in Norway, started out in English football at Newcastle following his 2004 move from Le Havre.

He moved to Wigan in January 2009 after falling out of favour at St James’ Park and was voted player of the season by players and fans at the DW Stadium last term.

Wigan have accepted an offer from Birmingham for Charles N’Zogbia after the Blues matched the Latics’ valuation.

The French winger has been linked with a move away from the DW Stadium all summer and Birmingham boss Alex McLeish heightened the speculation yesterday by revealing his club had put in a new bid.

N’Zogbia is now set to talk to the Midlands outfit after Wigan today confirmed they have accepted a “much-improved” offer for the 24-year-old.

A short statement on club website read: “Wigan Athletic can confirm that they have accepted a much-improved offer from Birmingham City for France winger Charles N’Zogbia, which has now met the club’s valuation.

“The player has now been given permission to speak with Birmingham.”

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez yesterday criticised his Birmingham counterpart McLeish for going public over his club’s interest in the player – and claimed the Blues’ offer at that point was less than one they rejected earlier in the summer.

The Spaniard said: “We had a couple of offers in May and now the offer is less than the one we had in May and then they go public in the press. It doesn’t look serious to me.

“The valuation is very clear. If the team matches it he can speak with them. Until that happens he is a Wigan Athletic player.

“The transfer window brings you that distraction but when you get other managers talking about your players, that is really disappointing – to unsettle players and the press with no substance behind it.

“I don’t know the reason behind it, whether it is to get the fans’ hopes high in your football club, I don’t know.

“Charles has had a difficult few days and it is our fault. We should not allow the transfer window to be open when the competition is ongoing.

“I don’t think it is respectful to the league or the fans and it needs to be considered by the authorities.”

N’Zogbia, who made his France debut earlier this month in Les Bleus’ friendly defeat in Norway, started out in English football at Newcastle following his 2004 move from Le Havre.

He moved to Wigan in January 2009 after falling out of favour at St James’ Park and was voted player of the season by players and fans at the DW Stadium last term.

Loic Remy’s agent has admitted the Nice striker could move to a new club by the middle of next week – with seven English clubs in the hunt.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is understood to have watched the 23-year-old in France’s midweek friendly with Norway, and representatives of Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, and Everton were also thought to be in attendance.

Remy, who has held talks with Stoke, starred for Nice as he scored the decisive goal as they came from behind to defeat Lorient 2-1 on Saturday night, when Premier League scouts were understood to have been in France.

Marseille have also shown interest, but his representative, Frederic Guerra, believes that negotiations regarding the forward are likely to progress in the coming days and that England is a preferred destination.

Guerra told skysports.com: “Marseille are interested, but Loic still wants to move to England.

“I fully expect movement by the middle of next week.”

Nice have indicated that France striker Loic Remy will not be joining Stoke City as the chase for his signature intensifies.

A number of Premier League clubs have been keeping tabs on Remy’s situation this summer, with the frontman making it clear that he would be keen on a move to England.

Stoke stepped up their pursuit earlier in the week, inviting Remy to the club for talks and showing him around their training ground.

The 23-year-old was impressed by what he saw and heard at Stoke but admitted he would take his time before making a decision on his future.

And it now seems Stoke are out of the running, with Remy’s immediate focus on Nice’s opening Ligue 1 game of the season against Valenciennes on Saturday night.

Speaking about the player, Nice general manager Patrick Governatori told L’Equipe: “It will not be sorted out with Stoke.

“I hope he will score on Saturday night. If he can play a good match, he could get the opportunity to be in the French starting XI (against Norway on Wednesday).”

Reports in France suggest scouts from Tottenham, West Ham and Sunderland will be present to watch Remy in action for Nice.

It is understood that Remy would only be willing to part with Remy for a fee of 14million euros (£11.7m).