Hoffenheim signs Belgian midfield talent Nathan De Cat for around 20 million euros

De Cat himself expressed great delight about the move. "Die TSG hat sich sehr früh und nachhaltig um mich bemüht", said the Belgian, who described his motivation as follows: "Die TSG Hoffenheim bietet mir optimale Möglichkeiten, mich in einer europäischen Top-5-Liga zu beweisen." Last season he featured in 36 of 40 possible league matches for Anderlecht in the Jupiler Pro League and celebrated his debut for the Belgian senior national team on 19 March 2026 in a 5:2 friendly win against the USA in Atlanta.

Reactions from Hoffenheim

TSG sporting director Andreas Schicker spoke of an outstanding affirmation of the path the club has taken. "Es freut uns ungemein, dass sich ein international so umworbener Spieler wie Nathan De Cat ganz bewusst für einen Wechsel zur TSG entschieden hat", Schicker is quoted as saying. He considers De Cat "eines der größten Talente Europas". The online portal transfermarkt.de currently lists the player's market value at 27 million euros – a year ago that figure stood at just 2.5 million.

Record transfer in the Kraichgau

According to the data-leading portals, De Cat ranks fourth in the ranking of the most expensive Bundesliga signings up to the age of 17. With the agreed fee, he is expected to ultimately overtake Adam Hlozek as the most expensive signing in the club's history. For the Czech international Hlozek, TSG had paid a reported 18 million euros to Bayer Leverkusen two years ago; the forward moved on in August 2024 for 18 million euros. Hlozek had previously been Hoffenheim's record purchase.

Hoffenheim's transfer balance sheet

With the De Cat deal, Hoffenheim breaks the 50-million-euro mark in transfer spending this summer. Overall, the club's expenditure climbs to almost 52 million euros. Only once has TSG invested more in a single summer: in 2024/25, the figure stood at 60.5 million euros.

In addition to the Belgian, in recent weeks TSG had already signed Cajetan Lenz from VfL Bochum, a U20 international, for the holding midfield position. Back in the winter, U19 international Luis Engelns had arrived from SC Paderborn; he has since been gaining match practice in Hoffenheim's third-division team and is waiting for his chance in the Bundesliga squad.

Outlook for the season

Hoffenheim's head coach is Christian Ilzer. The club will compete in the Bundesliga next season; the squad comprises 36 players with a total market value of around 96.95 million euros (as of summer 2026). The club's last transfer before De Cat was Lenz.

With the long-term contract and the prospect of regular playing time in the Kraichgau, Hoffenheim once again positions itself as a destination for Europe's top talents and underscores its ambition to introduce young players to the Bundesliga at an early stage. For De Cat, who as a 17-year-old already cuts an imposing physical figure on the pitch, next season begins the chapter in one of Europe's top five leagues.