When Enrico Maassen talks about Arne Engels’ winter signing, he starts to rave. “You have to find someone like that first,” says the FC Augsburg coach about the 19-year-old. The people of Augsburg found what they were looking for at Club NXT, the junior team of Club Bruges in Belgium’s second division. Only 100,000 euros are said to have flowed for Engels. His story is particularly special because he was signed for the right flank, but has now turned out to be a discovery in defensive midfield. In all three Bundesliga games that year he played convincingly and with so much calmness and overview that you could mistake him for a 29-year-old from the stands. Engels should also start in the home game against Leverkusen this Friday.
But Engels is just one of seven surprise additions from FC Augsburg this winter. Also bought were Croatia’s much sought-after U21 striker Dion Beljo, 20, from NK Osijek, along with his compatriot left-back David Colina, 22, from Hajduk Split and French forward Irvin Cardona, 25, from Stade Brest. There was also French winger Nathanael Mbuku, 20, who was unpaid despite a contract with first division club Stade Reims until the summer. Mbuku can be seen as a preview of the coming season. He had agreed to leave Reims anyway, which is why the club has already let him go. All winter signings were given a contract until 2027. Renato Veiga, 19, from Sporting Lisbon was also initially won on loan. The defender is the captain of Portugal’s U20 national team and will remain with FCA until the end of the year. Attacker Kelvin Yeboah, 22, had previously been loaned out by CFC Genoa until June 30. The Augsburgers have also secured a purchase option for the nephew of former Bundesliga striker Anthony Yeboah.
The audience is also amazed at this transfer offensive in the middle of the relegation battle because, with the exception of Cardona in his mid-twenties, all the newcomers are between 19 and 22 years old. Instead of relying on rough-edged routines like Florian Niederlechner, André Hahn or Daniel Caligiuri, the Augsburgers are now trying to combine the present and the future on their new path. On the one hand, they hope for immediate help from the promising talents and, on the other hand, for significant added value, including possible resales. “This is the only way for FC Augsburg to take the next step in economic development,” says sporting director Stefan Reuter. So far this approach seems to be working. With the exception of Mbuku and Veiga, all of the newcomers have already made an appearance and showed that they are already strengthening the squad.
The Croatian Dion Beljo was the most expensive with three million euros
At first glance, the main question is how FCA can afford these investments. In fact, the expenses in this case are limited. With a fee of around three million euros, Beljo was by far the most expensive, for all others a maximum of mid-six-digit amounts were due. Substantial income of allegedly around three million euros was also achieved with the sale of midfielder Carlos Gruezo, 27, to San José (USA). The premature departure of attacker Florian Niederlechner to Hertha BSC also provided relief. Should striker Sergio Cordova be sold – a move to the USA is under discussion – Augsburg’s transfer balance for the winter would show even more income than expenses.
Overall, however, they are preparing for a minus in the current financial year at FCA. In the club, the realization has matured that we have to invest more in the future in order to meet our own standards. This season it’s all about staying in the class, but in the medium term they’re aiming for the top ten. Finance Director Michael Ströll recently announced this.
Augsburg’s departure into the niche fits in with the grown structures and the meanwhile considerable substance of the club. FCA has played uninterruptedly in the Bundesliga since 2011, only seven clubs can currently boast a longer stay. At the annual general meeting in November, Ströll proudly announced equity capital of 53.6 million euros. The arena is paid off. The long-term contract until 2030 with the main sponsor and namesake of the stadium is also very helpful. At the same time, they emphasize at the FCA that the US investor David Blitzer, who joined in 2021, has not yet injected any capital. “Everything we’ve done is completely independent of our shareholders,” says Reuter after the seven winter additions. But it should still reassure them that they have an investor with them on their new path who could help them if necessary.
