David Affengruber has joined English Premier League side Fulham in a last-minute transfer. The 25-year-old Austria national team defender moves from Spanish club Elche, as reported by Sky Sport Austria.
Fulham confirmed the signing shortly after the transfer deadline passed at midnight. Affengruber put pen to paper on a contract running until the summer of 2030, with the club holding an option for an additional year. The transfer fee is reported to be around twelve million euros, excluding potential add-ons, according to media sources. The player had already completed his medical in London.
What does the move mean for Affengruber's career?
For the Austrian international, the switch to England represents a major career step. "It is a special day for me and my career," Affengruber said after signing. He added, "This is a big next step for me, and I am very happy to be here. You don't get a chance like this often."
Affengruber only joined Elche on a free transfer from Sturm Graz in 2024. There, he became a key player last season and played a significant part in their promotion to La Liga. His contract in Spain had just one year remaining, meaning a reported release clause of 50 million euros, cited by newspaper "AS", was not triggered.
Which clubs competed for his signature?
Fulham beat competition from two other Premier League clubs for the centre-back. Both Southampton and Crystal Palace had registered interest in signing him. The decision ultimately went in favour of the Cottagers from West London.
With this transfer, the number of Austrians in the English top flight rises to five players. Alongside Affengruber, these are Xaver Schlager (Nottingham Forest), Michael Svoboda (Brighton), Jannik Schuster (Brentford), and Kevin Danso. Danso, a 27-year-old national team colleague, himself moved on deadline day from Tottenham Hotspur to Sunderland, as that club officially confirmed.
What is Fulham's current situation?
David Affengruber's new employers finished the previous Premier League season in 11th place. Since the summer, the team has been coached by Alvaro Arbeloa, who previously managed Real Madrid for six months. Their first two league games under him, however, ended in defeat. Alongside Affengruber, Fulham also signed Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt and Manuel Angel on the final day of the transfer window.
What role does Affengruber play for the Austria team?
David Affengruber has made one appearance for the Austrian national team so far. He made his debut in a March friendly against Ghana, which Austria won 5:1. He was also part of the squad for the FIFA World Cup in North America but did not feature.
The team managed by Ralf Rangnick is currently in a challenging period. Their World Cup qualifying record shows 4 points from 3 games with a goal difference of 6:6. This puts Austria in second place in their group, but already 5 points behind leaders Argentina. Recent form is a concern: the last five matches have yielded no wins (0 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses). The most recent result was a 3:0 defeat to Spain on July 2nd. The next opportunity to reverse the trend comes with a home fixture against Israel on September 24th, a match you can track on our fixtures page. The current squad lineup is available on our squad page.
Affengruber's contract with Fulham runs until June 30, 2030.
