Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt was delighted to welcome Pavel Pogrebnyak to his club today, after the Russia striker passed a medical.

The 25-year-old has joined for an undisclosed fee from Zenit on a four-year contract, and will fill the void left by Mario Gomez's transfer to Bayern Munich.

"We are delighted that it has worked out," said Heldt. "He fulfils precisely the profile that we were looking for. He is a target man, just like Mario Gomez."

We are delighted that it has worked out. He fulfils precisely the profile that we were looking for. He is a target man, just like Mario Gomez.
Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt on new signing Pavel Pogrebnyak

Heldt denied reports that Pogrebnyak had cost his side a third of the €30m they had earned from the sale of Gomez, saying the fee was "in the region of five million".

"We said that we would not do anything crazy," explained Heldt. "Pavel only had six months left on his contract so ten million would have clearly been too much."

Since Stuttgart have managed to sign Pogrebnyak relatively cheaply, Heldt would not rule out making any more signings this summer after the club also agreed a one-year loan deal with Barcelona for Alexander Hleb last week.

"Theoretically, we could make some more additions," he said. "The window is open until the end of August and we will leave this opportunity open to us."

Pogrebnyak was heading back to Russia today to obtain a work permit and he is due back in Germany tomorrow, when he will be officially presented as a Stuttgart player.