FC Augsburg winger Alexander Esswein has completed his €2.5 million transfer to fellow Bundesliga side Hertha BSC, signing a contract that will tie him to the club until 2020.
Hertha look to give winger consistency as he approaches his prime
The move makes Hertha his sixth club in Germany despite being just 26 years of age, with a lack of consistency in Esswein's career one of the things holding him back from playing at the top of his game. Esswein admitted that he "hardly slept" in the lead up to the completion of his latest transfer, adding that "it's cool to finally be here."
Esswein made 57 appearances over three seasons for Augsburg, scoring five goals across all competitions for Fuggerstädter during his time at the club. Adding more goals to his game has been something that has prevented him from becoming a top-level player, and his new head coach Pal Dardai hopes to "get more goals from him" in the near future.
Familiar face awaits at Esswein's new club
The €2.5m fee for the player does not include any added bonus fees, which could see that amount rise to €3m in the future. Even that is no huge outlay for Hertha, who will have received a boost in their funding after 7th in the Bundesliga last season and thus reaching the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
Esswein will see a familiar face at his new club in Marvin Plattenhardt, who he played alongside for three years at 1. FC Nürnberg. Speaking about linking up with his former teammate, Esswein said that it is "cool that we play together again", and that the two have been in "regular contact" in recent days.
The addition of the speedy winger will add another dimension to Hertha's play, and head coach Dardai said that "it is conceivable" that their latest signing could make his debut in Hertha's season opener against SC Freiburg on Sunday afternoon thanks to Niklas Stark's one game suspension.