“Max is now going to the best league in the world as a ‘real Salzburger’ and we wish him all the best, good health and success,” said Salzburg’s sports director Christoph Freund, saying goodbye to the “very important leading player” Wöber on Tuesday. “Now he has the opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing in the Premier League and we have found a good solution for everyone involved.”
The business is at least one of the five most expensive transfers of Austrian players. Topping the list is Marko Arnautovic, who joined West Ham from Stoke City in 2017 for around €25m. Wöber only extended his contract in Salzburg in May until 2025. He is now the second Austrian player in the Premier League alongside Sasa Kalajdzic.
“I’ll play wherever the team needs me, whether as a left-back, central defender or as a midfielder, I’m okay with everything and I’ll do my best,” Wöber promised Leeds fans on the club’s website. He is facing a “massive challenge” and knows that he has to work hard to get into the team. “I’ll try to grow with every opportunity I get.”
The left foot leaves Salzburg as a triple double winner. “Thank you very much for these great moments together, Salzburg has grown very dear to me and has become my second home.” The 13-time ÖFB team player emphasized that he could remember countless highlights for the rest of his life. “If I just think back to our first Champions League season, our very first game in this competition against Genk or the fight back at Liverpool FC, I still get goosebumps today.”
Leeds is the third foreign stop for the ex-Rapidler after Ajax Amsterdam and Seville. The traditional club is currently in 14th place in the table. Again, Salzburg’s ex-coach Marsch was a driving force behind the change. The American has already lured several players with a Salzburg past to Leeds: After ex-ÖFB national player Franz Schiemer for management and Rene Maric for the coaching team, the Bulls followed last summer with the lucrative transfer of US offensive man Brenden Aaronson – the most expensive player in Bundesliga history with a rumored transfer fee of EUR 33m – as well as Danish right-back Rasmus Kristensen (around EUR 13m).
Three and a half years ago, Salzburg transferred 10.5 million euros to Seville for Wöber. In the autumn, the universally deployable defender was mainly used as a left-back. As a precaution, the series champion brought Malian Daouda Guindo back from a loan commitment from St. Gallen on Sunday for this position. In addition, in the central defender position, which Wöber can also occupy, there is a loan return of Jerome Onguene from Eintracht Frankfurt. The transfer window in Austria is open until February 6th.