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TSG 1899 Hoffenheim have officially confirmed the signing of Swiss centre-back Albian Hajdari from FC Lugano. The 22-year-old – who once trained in the Juventus academy – has had a productive year in which he tripled his estimated market value to €12m and earned his first cap with the Swiss national team. The price the Bundesliga outfit paid for the youngster was not immediately divulged.
Hoffenheim have reacted quickly to the long-term loss of Japanese central defender Koki Machida. Hajdari is nevertheless not intended as an immediate replacement for the Japanese international as TSG head coach Christian Ilzer’s squad still contains plenty of qualified centre-backs. The player declared himself looking forward to “an exciting challenge with a club on the right track“.
“In Albian, we have signed a player who fits our profile perfectly,” TSG sporting director Andreas Schicker added in a club statement. “He is young, left-footed, highly trained, and brings a wealth of experience with him.“
GGFN | Peter Weis
