As English football gears up for another fiercely competitive season, clubs are increasingly casting their scouting nets wider, and Germany has emerged as a fertile hunting ground.
Once considered a league more likely to export talent directly to the Premier League, the Bundesliga and even 2.Bundesliga are now supplying a mix of players to England’s second tier.
Here are some players that could suit a move to the English football pyramid this summer.
Julian Krahl – FC Kaiserslautern
25-year-old German goalkeeper Julian Krahl (currently playing in the 2.Bundesliga for FC Kaiserslautern), was the standout keeper during the 2024/25 campaign.
Coming through the ranks at RB Leipzig and FC Koln, but failed to register a first team appearance, joining 3. Liga outfit Viktoria Berlin making 26 appearances, before joining current club Kaiserslautern.
Krahl made only one appearance in his first season but cemented himself in the number one spot during the 2023/24 campaign, stepping up when veteran keeper Andreas Luthe was unavailable, retaining his position throughout the season.
His statistics in 2024/25 were superb, with the highest saves in the division per 90 at 3.8 per game on average, and the second highest goals prevented in the division at +8.7.
2. Bundesliga 24/25 statistics:
- Saves: 120
- Save percentage: 69.8%
- Goals prevented: 8.65
- Clean sheets:8
- Penalty saves: 1
- High Claim: 31
Which EFL Club Would He Suit?
Well to put it quite simply, any club that needs a solid first choice keeper.
Potential suitors could be Coventry City, with Oliver Dovin missing the first few months of the season out with a cruciate ligament injury, or perhaps Preston North End, who will be looking for competition for Daniel Iversen with long-serving Freddie Woodman departing for Liverpool.
Marcel Lotka – Borussia Dortmund
25-year-old goalkeeper Marcel Lotka is my next suggestion, following his departure from Dortmund’s academy at the end of his contract, Marcel Lotka will be on the hunt for first team opportunities outside of academy football.
Lotka’s first team debut came for Hertha Berlin in 2021, making 10 Bundesliga appearances before joining Dortmund on a free agent to fill their third-choice goalkeeper spot.
Lotka spent 3 years at the club, failing to make a single appearance for the first team, but featuring for the 2nd team, who play in the third division of German football, on 84 occasions. Lotka also featured on Dortmund’s bench for most Champions League fixtures.
Lotka’s statistics in the 3. Liga were solid enough, with the highest average saves per 90 at 4.2, as well as the fifth highest save percentage.
Lotka’s 3.Liga 2024/25 statistics:
- Saves 108
- Save percentage 72.0%
- Goals conceded 42
- Clean sheets 6
Which Club Would Suit Him Most?
Personally, I think a move to Millwall would make a lot of sense, providing competition for Lukas Jensen, filling the gap whilst he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury, but would slot into most Championship sides 2nd choice spot, if not compete for the first.
On the other hand, a drop to League One could be potentially feasible, and a move to Luton following first choice goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski’s departure to Charlton Athletic, leaving Luton short on options in the net.
Jean Hugonet – FC Magdeburg
Magdeburg’s French centre-back Jean Hugonet was a key figure in Christian Titz’s side last campaign, often acting as a vocal presence and defensive leader.
Hugonet came through the Paris FC academy, making 3 appearances before joining Austrian outfit Austria Lustenau where he featured 65 times, leaving in the summer of 2023 following the expiration of his contract, signing for Magdeburg on a free transfer.
He made just 15 appearances in his debut season for Magdeburg, missing large chunks of the season with an abductor injury followed by a shoulder injury, but flourished in his last campaign featuring 33 times, with 6 goal contributions.
Hugonet’s statistics allude to an impressive season at the back, finishing as the 2. Bundesliga’s second highest average for accurate long balls per game at 4.9, being a key player in Magdeburg’s possession based playing style, averaging the highest possession per game in the league at 57.8%.
Jean Hugonet’s 2.Bundesliga 2024/25 statistics:
- Successful passes: 1,478
- Pass accuracy: 84.0%
- Accurate long balls: 156
- Tackles won: 38
- Tackles won %: 73.1%
- Duels won: 170
Which Club Would Hugonet Suit In The EFL?
I would recommend Hugonet as a signing for any Championship sides that utilise a possession-based style, who are on the hunt for a new centre-back.
One side that stands out is Swansea, who averaged the third highest possession stats in the Championship last campaign and will be looking for competition for Ben Cabongo as well as new signings Cameron Burgess and Ricardo Santos.
Another side would be Norwich City, who have taken advantage of the German market on many occasions.
They’ve already brought in Jakob Medic and Harry Darling, but Liam Manning will be looking to revamp the squad even further, especially if Manning reverts to a 3-at-the-back formation.
Hrvoje Smolcic – Centre Back – Frankfurt
Returning from his loan spell in Austria at LASK, Smolcic will most likley be looking for opportunities elsewhere, as it seems unlikely, he still has a future at the Champions League side. With his contract not expiring until 2027, a loan away is the most feasible option.
The centre-back came through Croatian side Rijeka’s academy, making his professional debut in March 2019. Smolcic made 68 caps, before departing for current club Frankfurt in May 2022 for a fee of 2.5 million euros.
His opportunities for Frankfurt were limited, mostly being restricted to game time in cup competitions or off the bench with just 32 appearances in his first two years at the club.
Last campaign on a season-long loan at LASK, he featured on 33 occasions for the Austrian outfit, including 5 appearances in the Europa Conference League.
His stats were solid albeit nothing to shout about, but his strong aerial abilities mixed with impressive efficient passing playing out from the back, would be a great pickup for any Championship side.
2024/25 Statistics at LASK:
- Tackles won: 16
- Tackles won %: 69.6%
- Duels won: 97
- Duels won %: 61.4%
- Aerial duels won: 53
- Interceptions: 34
- Recoveries: 92
- Successful passes: 1,408
- Pass accuracy: 89.4%
Which EFL Club Would He Suit?
My suggestion would be a transfer to Ipswich Town.
On the back of their relegation, a low-risk loan for a centre-back to compete with Jacob Greaves, Luke Woolfenden and Dara O’Shea, particularly if one departs this summer window and would suit McKenna’s 4-2-3-1 formation that sets up attacks by building out from the back on a regular basis.
Another side I believe he suits is Sheffield United, who are lacking in centre back options looking at their squad on paper and will likely be able to pay his above average wages if they hope to push for promotion once again.
Olivier Deman – Werder Bremen – Left-Wing-Back
Returning to Werder Bremen from his loan spell back in home country Belgium at Royal Antwerp, Deman returns as third choice left-back, behind Felix Agu and Derrick Kohn (assuming his loan becomes permanent).
Deman never lived up to his 4-million-euro price tag, logging just 79 minutes in 9 substitute appearances in the first half of the Bundesliga campaign, reportedly leaving him frustrated at his status with the club.
Deman made 93 appearances for Cercle Brugge in the Belgian First Division, leaving for Bremen in the summer of 2023, making 29 appearances at left-wingback in a 3-5-2 formation.
Last campaign wasn’t so successful, being shipped out on loan to Royal Antwerp where he made 23 appearances, impressing during his spell.
His stats highlight his increase in form, as he provided the most tackles and one of the highest number of duels in the second half of the 2024/25 season in the Belgium First Division.
While his technical output and creative final-third contributions is slightly inconsistent, he compensates with energy and defensive solidity
Belgian First Division 2024/25 stats:
- Tackles won: 50
- Tackles won %: 61.0%
- Duels won: 139
- Duels won %: 57.7%
- Aerial duels won: 23
- Aerial duels won %: 46.9%
- Interceptions: 27
- Successful dribbles: 17
- Dribble success: 56.7%
Which EFL Club Would He Suit?
Deman suits an attacking style of play, especially a side that utilises him at wing-back rather than a defensive left-back. A team like Stoke who lack versatile options for their left-wing-back position, with only Eric Bocat remaining for the spot, following Lyndon Gooch’s departure.
Fraser Hornby – FC Darmstadt – Striker
Scotsman Fraser Hornby enjoyed a successful season for Darmstadt last campaign, with a return of twelve 2. Bundesliga goals in 29 appearances, following on from a 2023/24 campaign hindered by a serious ankle injury that kept him out of action for over 200 days.
Hornby came through the Everton academy, making one start for the club in a Europa League fixture against Apoel Limassol, before joining Belgian side Kortrijk on loan in 2019.
Following this loan spell, Hornby joined Reims on a permanent basis, making two moderately successful season long loan spells at Aberdeen and Belgian side Oostende, joining Darmstadt for a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract.
His stats for the 24/25 campaign show a remarkable upgrade on previous years, with stats most strikers would dream of, excelling compared to other strikers in the 2. Bundesliga thanks to his strong duel rate, impressive ariel dominance (standing at 1.95 metres tall) and effective hold up play.
2. Bundesliga 2024/25 stats:
- Goals: 12
- Expected goals (xG): 13.20
- xG on target: 13.01
- Chances created: 26
- Pass accuracy: 74.9%
- Dribble success: 62.5%
- Touches in opposition box: 100
Who Would Hornby Suit?
A team that springs to mind is Preston North End, as a replacement for Emil Riis, with options looking thin to suit their formation that typically plays 2 strikers up front, who will be looking for another physical striker for their frontline.
Johannes Eggestein – St Pauli – Striker
Available on a free transfer, Johannes Eggestein would be an impressive pickup for most Championship sides for a low risk second choice option.
Eggestein fell out of favour at St Pauli in their first campaign back in the Bundesliga since 2011, featuring 29 times, bagging 4 goals and 6 assists during the campaign.
Eggestein came through the ranks at Werder Bremen, and signed his first professioal contract in June 2016, with his debut coming couple of months later in the DFB-Pokal.
He featured 56 times for Bremen across 5 seasons, spending quite a bit of time in the reserves who fluctuated between the 3. Liga and Regionalliga and had an incredibly positive loan spell for Austrian side LASK scoring 20 goals in this spell.
After a one-year tenure in Belgium, he joined his most recent club St Pauli, going on to score 20 goals in 85 games before departing upon the expiration of his contract.
Eggestein’s 2024/25 statistics aren’t overly impressive with his restricted game time, but still registered impressive passing numbers for a centre-forward thanks to his regular build-up play involvement, as movement and work rate being praised, evidenced by high sprint and intensity stats throughout his last couple of seasons.
Bundesliga 2024/25 stats:
- Goals: 3
- Expected goals (xG): 4.72
- Assists: 4
- Expected assists (xA): 1.33
- Successful passes: 399
- Pass accuracy: 78.4%
Which EFL Club Would He Suit?
My first instinct was Norwich City, who are on the hunt for some additional depth at the striker spot to challenge alongside Ante Crnac and Josh Sargent, especially if the latter leaves this summer and given the fact Norwich have recruited well in the German market previously, this seems feasible.
Furthermore, a side like Bristol City who lack in striker depth would be an obvious suggestion, for the most part due to Eggestein’s status as a free agent, and would be a useful addition if they aim to climb further up the league this campaign if they are on the hunt for a striker with a high work rate and links up well during build up play.
