Why Martin Hinteregger to Fulham would be a real coup this summer
According to The Sun (September 6; Page 62), Fulham have been linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Martin Hinteregger as Scott Parker prepares to bolster his backline after securing promotion to the Premier League.
As per the report, Parker is keen to bring the Austrian international to Craven Cottage this summer and Fulham could make a formal offer for his services before the October deadline.
The Cottagers have already secured permanent deals for last season’s loanees, Harrison Reed and Anthony Knockaert, as well as Wigan left-back Antonee Robinson. Mario Lemina has also been roped in on loan from Southampton to add more depth to the midfield.
Profile
Martin Hinteregger rose through the youth ranks of RB Salzburg in his homeland and went on to make over 200 senior appearances for his boyhood club, winning four domestic titles in the process.
After an unsuccessful loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach, the 27-year-old eventually earned a permanent move to the German Bundesliga with Augsburg back in the summer of 2016.
Hinteregger established himself as a regular starter at Augsburg and spent two-and-a-half seasons there before switching boats to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the second half of the 2018-19 campaign.
The Austrian international signed a permanent deal with Frankfurt last summer after guiding the club to the semi-final of the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League, where they eventually lost to Chelsea. Hinteregger made 49 appearances across all competitions in the previous campaign, scoring 9 times, as Frankfurt reached the last-16 of the Europa League and finished 9th in the Bundesliga.
Fulham need some defensive upgrades
Fulham conceded just 48 goals in 46 Championship games last season en route to their 4th-place finish in the second tier, which was pretty impressive as compared to some of the other teams in the division.
However, it’s worth reminding that the Cottagers finished 19th in the Premier League standings during the 2018-19 season, with almost exactly the same set of defenders. Michael Hector was the only new addition to their backline in the Championship last season.
Indeed, Fulham’s leaky backline was one of the key reasons behind their undoing in the top-flight a couple of years ago. Scott Parker needs to keep that in mind while reshuffling his squad in the summer window.
Tim Ream and Denis Odoi, both 32 now, struggled to make a big impact in the Premier League last time around, while Maxime Le Marchand was equally unimpressive. Alfie Mawson, a player with PL experience, has been shipped out on loan to Bristol City for the upcoming campaign, which is a clear indication that a backline reshuffle could well be on the cards at Craven Cottage.
To put things into perspective, Martin Hinteregger could bring loads of quality and experience to a Fulham backline that is in dire need of a marquee signing this summer. The Austrian has already proven his mettle as a dominant centre-back in the Bundesliga and also in the Europa League, so his arrival would definitely hand a massive boost to a promoted club like Fulham.
Read more
- Fulham join Leeds in the race for 20-year-old Portuguese sensation Florentino Luis – A bargain move to add depth?
- Why Fulham must secure a loan deal for Ethan Ampadu
- Why a permanent move for Anthony Knockaert is good for Fulham
Verdict
Suffice to say, the Cottagers need to make sure that they have enough quality at the back to avoid a total defensive collapse in the top-flight next season, as it had been the case a couple of years back.
Martin Hinteregger oozes quality and experience with a mammoth 375 club career appearances under his belt while he still has several years remaining in his prime given he is just 27. With that in mind, the Austrian international ticks all the boxes to come through the door at Craven Cottage as a good signing this summer.
