Official | Union Berlin bring Felix Uduokhai back to the Bundesliga

Official | Union Berlin bring Felix Uduokhai back to the Bundesliga FC Union Berlin have officially confirmed the signing of German centre-back Felix Uduokhai from Beşiktaş. The 28-year-old returns to the Bundesliga after two seasons in Turkey, with Union not disclosing the length of his contract. Turkish reports place the transfer fee at approximately €1.5m. Beşiktaş thus appear set to record a loss on a player they signed permanently from FC Augsburg for €5m last summer following an initial season-long loan. Uduokhai made 58 competitive appearances during his time in Istanbul, though his playing time decreased significantly during his second campaign. The former Germany U21 international and Olympic representative now returns to a league in which he already possesses considerable experience. Get German Football News reported last month that newly promoted Schalke 04 had explored a loan move for Uduokhai . At the time, the defender was understood to be interested in returning to Germany after falling down the hierarchy at Beşiktaş. His estimated market value had also declined from approximately €8m to €3.5m over the previous 18 months. Union have now provided him with that Bundesliga return on a permanent basis. Uduokhai adds Bundesliga experience to reconstructed Union defense Uduokhai previously accumulated 150 Bundesliga appearances for Wolfsburg and Augsburg between 2017 and 2024. Before establishing himself in the German top flight, the Annaberg-Buchholz native also made 21 2. Bundesliga appearances for 1860 München. His arrival completes another significant piece of Union’s defensive reconstruction. Long-serving centre-backs Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite both departed on free transfers this summer, forcing managing director Horst Heldt to rebuild a department that had previously formed the foundation of Union’s three-man defensive structure. Uduokhai becomes the third centre-back added during the window after Zeno Van Den Bosch and returning former Union defender Marvin Friedrich. That depth should prove particularly useful following a major tactical change under new head coach Mauro Lustrinelli. GGFN’s 2026/27 Union Berlin tactical preview detailed Lustrinelli’s attempts to move the Köpenickers away from their familiar back three and toward a four-man defensive structure during pre-season. Leopold Querfeld and loan returnee Oluwaseun Ogbemudia provide further options in central defence. Uduokhai’s Bundesliga experience, physicality and qualities in buildup should nevertheless leave him well positioned to compete immediately for a starting place. “Felix brings a profile that is not easy to find on the market,” Union managing director Horst Heldt noted in a club statement. “He is strong in duels, possesses good qualities in build-up, and knows the demands at a high level from many years in the Bundesliga as well as from a top Süper Lig club.” Uduokhai himself described the transfer as “exactly the right step at the right time,” adding that he had missed the Bundesliga and wanted to join an ambitious club. GGFN  |  Peter Weis