Brighton sign Ingolstadt left back Markus Suttner for £3.8m
Summer signing number three is through the door as Brighton and Hove Albion bring in Austrian left back Markus Suttner for in the region of £3.8m.
The 30-year-old becomes the Albion’s second arrival from Bundesliga 2 side Ingolstadt, following Pascal Gross’ move which was announced in May. Ingolstadt fans will be hoping Brexit does mean Brexit given the pillaging Chris Hughton has carried out on their squad.
Suttner himself was keen to make the move, coming out with a ‘let me go plea’ earlier in the summer as Ingolstadt and the Albion haggled over £500,000.
Who eventually won that battle we don’t know, but what we do know is that reports from Germany say he cost €4.3m which would make him the third most expensive Albion signing of all time after Mat Ryan and Shane Duffy. He has signed a three year contract
Suttner has been capped 18 times by his country. He began his career at Austria Wien, playing over 250 times, winning both the Austrian League and Austrian Cup and playing in the Championship League with the capital city club.
He joined Ingolstadt in 2015, making just shy of 50 appearances over the course of two seasons at Audi Sportpark for Die Shanzer. A set piece expert, he scored more free kicks than any other player in Europe’s top flights last season to earn the nickname of ‘The Austrian Paul Watson’.
Left back has been a position that most Albion fans felt strongly about needing reinforcements in given there are serious question marks about Gaetan Bong facing Premier League wingers week in, week out.
Suttner’s arrival addressed that issue and leaves striker as the one area we desperately need to strengthen in now having already picked up a goalkeeper and number 10 so far in the transfer window.
With two of the three newcomers so far coming from Germany and Austria, it looks as though Hughton is staking Premier League survival on the Axis Powers. Reports linking the Albion to Italian forward Diego Falcinelli – who scored 13 times in 35 Serie A appearances on loan at Crotone from Sassuolo last season – will only strengthen that viewpoint.
