Now official too: HSV tie down top talent long-term! | OneFootball

What had been hinted at in recent days is now official: HSV have tied center-back Shafiq Nandja to the club and handed the homegrown talent his first professional contract.

With this, the Rothosen are rewarding the strong development of the 19-year-old, who has worked his way step by step toward the Bundesliga squad over the past few months.

Several media outlets had already recently reported that the contract extension with Nandja was practically finalized. HSV have now officially confirmed the deal. The Hamburg-born defender, who has been wearing the club’s shirt since 2018, will remain with the club for the long term.

“Shafiq has more than earned this step through hard work and discipline,” sporting director Claus Costa said in the club statement. Especially after the departure of Guilherme Ramos, the club had consciously decided to fill the gap in the professional squad with Nandja. “Shafiq has justified that trust, consistently delivered strong performances in training, and thereby earned his first appearances in the Bundesliga,” Costa continued.

Photo: IMAGO

For HSV youngster Nandja, “a dream is coming true”

The 1.86-meter center-back made his official professional debut in the home match against SC Freiburg (3–2). In the season finale in Leverkusen (1–1), he was even given almost 20 minutes on the pitch. Before that, he had been included in the Bundesliga matchday squad several times. At the same time, Nandja gained match practice in the Regionalliga Nord, where he made 24 appearances for the U21 side last season.

That HSV think highly of his talent was already evident last summer. At the time, Serie A club Torino were said to have offered around €300,000 plus bonuses for Nandja. The Hanseatic club, however, turned it down and tied their talent down to a long-term deal just under a year later.

For Nandja himself, this step marks a very special milestone. “As someone born in Hamburg who spent many years in the HSV youth system, signing this contract is a dream come true for me,” said the teenager. At the same time, he emphasized: “I know that I’m still only at the beginning and that I have to keep working hard on myself.”

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