Hoffenheim land BVB target Nathan De Cat | OneFootball

He is considered one of the hottest stocks on the transfer market. Top clubs from all over Europe had only 17-year-old Nathan De Cat on their radar. TSG Hoffenheim has now won the race for the RSC Anderlecht midfielder.

The competition was high-profile and certainly well-funded. From the Bundesliga, not only Borussia Dortmund is said to have been interested in De Cat, but also Bayern Munich, Leverkusen, Stuttgart, and Leipzig. From the Premier League, Chelsea and Manchester City expressed their interest. Paris FC is also said to have been among the candidates.

According to Sky, however, Hoffenheim has secured the deal. The transfer fee amounts to 17 million euros plus bonuses of between three and three-and-a-half million, as well as a sell-on clause. De Cat will receive a long-term contract running until 2031. The obligatory medical is scheduled to take place soon.

This puts the new signing just behind Hoffenheim’s previous record transfer, Adam Hlozek (23). In the summer of 2024, TSG transferred a fee of 18 million euros plus bonus payments to Leverkusen.

World Cup dream dashed

The 1.92-meter-tall central midfielder already brings plenty of experience despite his young age. De Cat has already made 53 competitive appearances for the Belgian fourth-placed side (four goals, five assists). In March 2026, he made his debut for the Belgian national team in a 5–2 win over the USA. To his disappointment, however, head coach Rudi Garcia (62) did not include him in the World Cup squad.

Photo: IMAGO

BVB is searching intensively this summer for reinforcements in central midfield. De Cat would have been an ideal fit, as he can both provide defensive cover and make an impact as a box-to-box player. However, the young Belgian prefers TSG Hoffenheim, as he apparently sees better opportunities there to develop his career in a calmer environment.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.