Replacement for rice
© Imago
Hamburger SV presented Nicolás Capaldo (26) as the fifth new addition to the summer. The Argentine midfielder comes from Red Bull Salzburg and signed a contract with the red pants until 2028. According to information from the Argentine journalist César Luis Merlo, the transfer costs the transfer 4.5 million euros in transfer – RB also receives a share of the resale of 30 percent.
For HSV, Capaldo has been the most expensive purchase since the summer of 2017 when André Hahn from Borussia Mönchengladbach and Kyriakos Papadopoulos came from Bayer Leverkusen for 6.5 million euros-the last summer transfer window should be the first division team for the time being.
After seven years, the Hamburgers are back and work on their Bundesliga squad. Capaldo comes with the experience of 126 games for the red bulls and 65 games for the Boca Juniors – the latter left in 2021 for 4.5 million euros in the direction of Austria. “We are very pleased to be able to set another piece of the puzzle in our squad planning with the commitment of Nicolas,” said HSV sports director Stefan Kuntz on Thursday. “It brings a lot of energy, mentality and temperament, from which our team in the Bundesliga will benefit both on and off the square. He is also in the best football age at 26.”
Only Königsdörffer in the HSV squad more valuable than capaldo
Capaldo’s market value is 5 million euros and is only outbid in the HSV squad by Ransford Königsdörffer (23) with 6 million euros. The Argentinian is said to close the gap in the central midfield, which was created with the 6 million exit from Ludovit Reis (25) to the Club Bruges. At RB it was mostly used as eighth and also acted as a right defender or winger. In the past two seasons, its market value has dropped from 8 million to 5 million – there were injuries for this, which have been out of action, especially in 2023/24, for a long time. Since April he was missing RB due to a broken toe and missed the club World Cup.
The Hamburg sports director Claus Costa said: “Nico is a very active and intensive central midfielder who acts very passionately on the square. We are convinced that he will strengthen our team with his dynamics, the quality of the ball and his brave way of playing.”
Capaldo himself knew: “The HSV is a big club. I am very happy to be here now. I am a player who brings a lot of energy into play and always gives 100 percent in every minute. Now I can hardly wait to record the training with my new teammates and hopefully play a successful season.”