Union Berlin have signed central defender Felix Uduokhai from Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş. The 28-year-old returns to the Bundesliga on a permanent deal, the club announced on Thursday. This news was first reported by www.google.com.
The Iron Ones, who finished last season in 11th place in the Bundesliga, are strengthening their defence following the departures of Danilho Doekhi and Diego Leite, whose contracts expired. With 33 goals scored and 50 conceded last term, the back line was an area needing improvement. Uduokhai is already the sixth signing of the summer, following Michel Aebischer, Stanley Nsoki, Marvin Friedrich, Zeno van den Bosch and Emmanuel Latte Lath.
What profile does Uduokhai bring?
Felix Uduokhai is an experienced central defender who knows the Bundesliga inside out. He began his senior career at 1860 Munich before moving to Wolfsburg ahead of the 2017/18 campaign. He made 37 competitive appearances for Die Wölfe. In 2019, he joined FC Augsburg, where he became a mainstay in defence over five years, featuring 124 times. He spent the last two seasons in Turkey with Beşiktaş and also gained international experience in the UEFA Europa League. Sporting director Horst Heldt highlighted the new signing's qualities: "Felix has a profile that isn't easy to find in this market."
How does he fit into the current squad?
The signing of Uduokhai comes at the right time. Beyond the aforementioned departures in central defence, Union Berlin are dealing with a number of injuries. Robert Skov, Aljoscha Kemlein, Livan Burcu, Frederik Ronnow, Lucas Tousart and Diogo Leite are currently sidelined. New head coach Mauro Lustrinelli gains another experienced option for a defence that struggled last season, conceding 50 goals with a -17 goal difference. The player himself sees the move as a logical step: "This move feels the right step at the right time. I've missed the Bundesliga and wanted to be part of an ambitious club." An overview of the entire squad is available on our squad page.
What does the transfer mean for the season planning?
With the acquisition of Uduokhai, Union Berlin are closing their defensive transfer business for now. The team started the season with a 4-2 win in the first round of the DFB-Pokal against Eintracht Braunschweig. Their first Bundesliga match of the new season is on Saturday at 3:30 PM CEST against Eintracht Frankfurt. Further demanding fixtures await, including a home match against currently 4th-placed RB Leipzig on November 21, 2026. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
The task for Uduokhai and the entire defence will be to increase stability. Last season, the team collected 32 points from 29 games, with eight wins, eight draws and 13 defeats. Their recent form before the season ended, LDLWL, showed room for improvement. To keep pace with the top – they finished 44 points behind leaders Bayern Munich – an improved defensive performance is a key factor. All current league standings and statistics can be tracked on our stats page.
