BERLIN: Schalke 04 have agreed to sign in-form Hoffenheim forward Mark Uth from next season on a free transfer with a contract running to 2022, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Uth, who played in the Dutch league for three seasons after leaving Cologne in 2012, is the joint leading German striker in the Bundesliga along with Kevin Volland on nine goals.

His contract at Hoffenheim runs out at the end of the season.

"Mark Uth is currently the Bundesliga's most prolific German forward and will strengthen our attacking options even more from next summer," said Schalke sports director Christian Heidel.

"We are delighted that we have been able to bring him to FC Schalke 04."

The Bundesliga resumes on Friday after a three-week winter break, with Schalke in second place, 11 points behind Bayern Munich. Hoffenheim are in seventh place.