Fortuna Dusseldorf believe they have signed a ‘great central defensive talent’ after snapping up Christoph Klarer from Premier League outfit Southampton, as reported via the club’s official website.
Amid all the excitement that followed Theo Walcott’s return to the South Coast after 14 years away, the departure of an exciting young centre-half went under the radar on deadline day.
While Ralph Hasenhuttl has consistently delved into Southampton’s famous academy in search of fresh-faced talent since replacing Mark Hughes in 2018, he was unable to prevent Klarer putting pen to paper with German second-tier outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf.
And the Saints could be left a little red-faced if the 20-year-old follows in Walcott’s footsteps and develops into an elite-level footballer away from St Mary’s.
“We have been able to attract a great central defensive talent for Fortuna. He is a U21 international and highly regarded in Austria. That he’s committed to Fortuna for the next four years is a great sign,” said sporting director Uwe Klein.
“We will have a lot of fun with Christoph in the next few years.”
Klarer spent four years at Southampton, having joined from Rapid Vienna in 2016, but failed to make a single Premier League appearance during his time in England.
First-team opportunities should be easier to come by, however, in a country where unproven youngsters are regularly thrown in at the deep end.
“I am overjoyed that we managed to complete the transfer and I am really looking forward to the task,” Klarer says.
“It is a dream come true that I can play for a big club like Fortuna. For me this is the next step. The 2nd Bundesliga is very demanding and physically intense. I’m well prepared for that. “
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