AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng joined Schalke 04 on a three-year deal on Friday with the Ghana star admitting he is delighted to be back in the Bundesliga.

Schalke are reported to have paid the Italians 12 million euros ($15.9m) and the deal carries an option for a fourth season.

"The Bundesliga is the best in the world and it's where the best players in the world go," said the self-confident 26-year-old at a press conference in Gelsenkirchen.

"I've always said that I wanted to play again in Germany."

The half-brother of Bayern Munich and Germany defender Jerome Boateng started his career at Hertha Berlin and moved to Tottenham Hotspur for 7.9 million euros in 2007.

He returned briefly to Germany for a loan spell with Schalke's bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund before joining Portsmouth and then Milan.

Boateng scored twice in the Italian team's 3-0 victory against PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League play-off second leg on Wednesday that took them through to the group stage 4-1 on aggregate.

A tough character, Boateng's tackle on Michael Ballack in the 2010 FA Cup final ruled the Germany captain out of the World Cup in South Africa and he has been brought in to add some middle backbone for the Royal Blues.

"He is an exceptional player with enormous quality and tremendous leadership skills," said Schalke coach Jens Keller.

Alongside Schalke's 19-year-old star Julian Draxler, Boateng could form an impressive midfield partnership and Schalke's general manager Horst Heldt ruled out selling the teenager Draxler before the transfer window closes next week.

"It would be schizophrenic to sign one player of quality, but then let another one go. That's not what we want to do," said Heldt.

The German Football League (DFL) have said Boateng is eligible for Saturday's Bundesliga match at home to Leverkusen, despite picking up a four-game ban when he was dismissed for kicking an opponent in the face on his final appearance for Dortmund at Wolfsburg in 2009.