Right-back Ronny Philp joins 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Heidenheim from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg on a four-year-deal until summer 2019.
"Due to Robert Strauß's injury, the necessity to improve our team on that position was a given", Heidenheim's managing director, Holger Sanwald said. He added that he was happy to know that Philp wants to work with the club on a long-term basis.
A patchy time in the Bundesliga
The Romania-born defender, whose parents left their homeland when Philp was only one-year-old, played for his local club TSV Burgfarrnbach and Greuther Fürth in his youth. In 2011, he moved to Jahn Regensburg where he played 36 of 38 possible league games, scoring once.
Bundesliga club FC Augsburg then signed the right-back, but he couldn't quite establish himself, only playing a total of 14 league games for Augsburg's first team in three years in the Bundesliga. In the second half of the past 2014-2015 campaign, he was loaned out to his former youth club Greuther Fürth, but made only five appearances.
Both teams involved in the deal agreed not to make any statements about the transfer fee and contract details. According to transfermarkt.de, Philp has an estimated market value of €0.4m.
Many new faces for a new season
The 26-year-old is one of many transfers manager Frank Schmidt and his team have made. Sebastian Heidinger and Daniel Frahn joined from ambitious league rival RB Leipzig, Ben Halloran switched sides from Fortuna Düsseldorf, Norman Theuerkauf joined from Eintracht Braunschweig and Arne Feick was signed from VfR Aalen. Felix Schröter was loaned out from FC Schalke 04's second team.
Strauß extends contract with Heidenheim
1. FC Heidenheim have also renewed Robert Strauß's contract for two years until summer 2017. The 28-year-old's deal would have ended in summer 2016. Strauß has played for Heidenheim since January 2012, making 120 appearances in 3. Liga, 2. Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.