London (AFP) – Bundesliga club Hannover have signed Austria defender Kevin Wimmer on a season-long loan deal from Stoke.

Wimmer only joined Stoke from Tottenham in an £18 million ($24 million, 20.5 million euros) move in August 2017.

But the 25-year-old made just 19 appearances in all competitions as Stoke were relegated from the Premier League.

A statement from Stoke said the loan agreement “carries the potential for the deal to be made permanent”.

Wimmer had not featured for Stoke since their 3-0 league defeat at Manchester United in January after falling out of favour following Paul Lambert’s appointment to replace sacked boss Mark Hughes.

Lambert has since been replaced by Gary Rowett, but there was still no future with Stoke for Wimmer.

The former Cologne star last played for all 90 minutes in Stoke’s embarrassing FA Cup defeat to fourth tier Coventry in January.