From FC Augsburg to Hungary
©IMAGO
Coach Pál Dárdai at Hertha BSC fielded the midfield talent Arne Maier at the time 48 times in a competitive game for Berlin. Now the two are supposed to run into each other again in Hungary. According to consistent media reports, 27-year-old Maier is moving from FC Augsburg to Dárdai’s Budapest first division club Újpest FC.
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 | A. Maier |
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On Saturday, “Sky” first reported an agreement between Augsburg and the Hungarians. With a remaining contract term until 2026, a significant transfer fee is no longer expected. During the disappointing season at FCA, Maier’s market value was reduced by half to 2 million euros. He reached his career high at the best time under Dárdai: 24 million euros at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Since then, Maier’s rating has mostly gone downhill. Two loans to Bielefeld and Augsburg followed in 2020/21. In 2022, the Fuggerstadt-based company signed the Brandenburg native for 5 million euros, which was in line with the market value at the time. After several years with the Bavarian Swabians and a temporary role as a top performer, Maier was no longer able to gain anything at FCA in the current season. In a single Bundesliga game, in the 3-1 win in Freiburg on matchday one, he came on as a substitute shortly before the end. It was his 118th and probably last appearance. He has not been part of the squad since mid-January. The medical check in Hungary is said to have been scheduled for Saturday.
