Xavier Amaechi: Arsenal winger signs for Hamburg on four-year deal

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Amaechi had approaches from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and four Premier League sides
  • Author, David Ornstein
  • Role, 大象传媒 Sport

Arsenal winger Xavier Amaechi has completed a move to Hamburg after signing a four-year contract with the German second division club.

Hamburg will pay a fee in excess of 2.5m euros (拢2.25m), plus several million in performance-related add-ons, while Arsenal have a sell-on clause but no buy-back option.

The 18-year-old England youth international, who passed a medical on Saturday before putting pen to paper, will wear the number 17 shirt at the Volksparkstadion.

Amaechi turned down a number of high-profile suitors and an offer to extend his Arsenal deal, which had a year remaining.

He received approaches from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Nice, Hertha Berlin and Championship sides, as well as late interest from four Premier League teams.

Hamburg were among a dozen German outfits who had been closely monitoring Amaechi since early 2019 and their pitch to the Bath-born attacker proved decisive.

The role of their sporting director Michael Mutzl was said to be key as he, manager Dieter Hecking and director of sport Jonas Boldt - all recent appointments - committed to a project that will see Amaechi used as a regular starter on either of the flanks.

Amaechi moved to Arsenal from Fulham in 2013 and is regarded as one of English football's most promising talents, though he is yet to make a senior appearance.

His 2018-19 campaign was disrupted by injuries, but he did make his debut for the first team in a friendly on their late-season warm-weather trip to Dubai and was also in the Gunners' travelling party for the Europa League final in Baku.

Hamburg viewed Amaechi as an ideal recruit in their bid for promotion back to the top flight and the player saw them as the perfect place to continue his development.

Having been the only team to play in every Bundesliga season since the league's formation in 1963, Hamburg were relegated for the first time a year ago.

They finished fourth in 2018-19 but had an average home attendance of almost 50,000.

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