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Soccer-Holtby leaves Tottenham on permanent move to Hamburg

LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - German international midfielder Lewis Holtby completed a permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur to SV Hamburg on Wednesday after spending last season on loan with the former European champions, who narrowly avoided relegation from the Bundesliga. Holtby, 24, joined Spurs in January 2013 but was loaned to Fulham a year later before moving to Hamburg last September where he played 20 times last season. He has played for Germany three times. Hamburg, the only club with an unbroken link to the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963, stayed up after winning a relegation playoff against Karlsruhe. Confirming the move on their website "www.tottenhamhotspur.com) the London club said: "The midfielder joined the Bundesliga side on a one-year loan in September 2014, with a view to a permanent transfer. "This option has now been exercised and Lewis leaves us having made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, following his arrival from Schalke 04 in 2013." (Reporting by Mike Collett, editing by Mitch Phillips)