Deniz Undav
Undav with VfB Stuttgart in 2023
Personal information
Full name Deniz Undav[1]
Date of birth (1996-07-19) 19 July 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth Varel, Germany
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 VfB Stuttgart
(on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion)
Number 26
Youth career
2002–2006 TSV Achim
2007–2012 Werder Bremen
2012–2014 SC Weyhe
2014–2015 TSV Havelse
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 TSV Havelse 67 (32)
2017–2018 Eintracht Braunschweig II 18 (9)
2018–2020 SV Meppen 69 (23)
2020–2022 Union SG 51 (35)
2022– Brighton & Hove Albion 22 (5)
2022 → Union SG (loan) 12 (8)
2023– → VfB Stuttgart (loan) 19 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 February 2024 (UTC)

Deniz Undav (born 19 July 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, on loan from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.[3]

Career

Early career

Undav who grew up in Achim played for TSV Achim before joining the youth department of Werder Bremen, in which he was released after five years due to his lack of height. Later on, he joined SC Weyhe, then TSV Havelse where he made his senior debut during the 2014–15 Regionalliga. He later played for Eintracht Braunschweig II, followed by SV Meppen.[4]

Union Saint-Gilloise

In April 2020, it was announced Undav would leave 3. Liga club SV Meppen at the end of the 2019–20 season. With his Meppen contract running out, he would join Belgian First Division B side Union Saint-Gilloise on a three-year deal.[5][6]

On 13 March 2021, Undav won the championship with Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian First Division B ending his season on 17 goals in 26 games.

On the 15th matchday in the 2021–22 Belgian First Division A season Undav scored, for the first time in his career, a quadruple away at K.V. Oostende in the 7–1 victory.[7] He finished the season as top scorer of the league with 18 goals, and was awarded the Footballer of the Year in Belgium.[8]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 31 January 2022, Undav joined Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion for €7 million,[9] signing a four-and-a-half year deal. He immediately returned to Union Saint-Gilloise until the end of the 2021–22 season on loan.[10]

Undav made his Albion debut on the opening game of the 2022–23 season, coming on as a 90+5th minute substitute for Danny Welbeck, helping Brighton win its first ever victory at Old Trafford after beating Manchester United 2–1.[11] He scored his first goal for the club in his second appearance, opening the scoreline in the 3–0 away victory over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup on 24 August.[12] He didn't score again until over four-and-a-half months later on 7 January 2023, scoring Brighton's last after coming on as a substitute, in the 5–1 away thrashing over Championship side Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round.[13] Undav made his first Premier League start on 4 February, creating chances and making several attempts on goal without success before being substituted off in the eventual 1–0 home win over Bournemouth.[14] He opened the scoreline on 19 March, scoring a rebound from a Moisés Caicedo shot, later assisting a Evan Ferguson goal in the 5–0 FA Cup quarter-final win over League Two side Grimsby Town.[15] Undav scored his first Premier League goal on 29 April, opening the scoreline and later adding a second in the 6–0 thrashing of Wolves, their biggest Premier League victory.[16] He added to his Premier League tally on 14 May, chipping in Albions' second in the eventual 3–0 away win over Arsenal.[17] Four days later, Undav scored at both ends in Brighton's 4–1 away defeat at Newcastle, heading in an own goal from a corner to open the scoreline before hitting one back from two down.[18]

Loan to VfB Stuttgart

On 2 August 2023, Undav returned to his native Germany, signing for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart on a season-long loan for the 2023–24 season.[19] On 27 January 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–2 win over RB Leipzig.[20]

Personal background

Born in Germany, Undav is of Kurdish descent. His family is from the city of Urfa[21] and the municipality of Viranşehir in Turkey.

Career statistics

As of match played 17 February 2024[22][23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Havelse 2014–15 Regionalliga 3 0 0 0 — 3 0
2015–16 Regionalliga 32 16 2 0 — 34 16
2016–17 Regionalliga 32 16 3 5 — 35 21
Total 67 32 5 5 — 72 37
Eintracht Braunschweig II 2017–18 Regionalliga 18 9 0 0 — 18 9
Meppen 2018–19 3. Liga 35 6 3 1 — 38 7
2019–20 3. Liga 34 17 1 0 — 35 17
Total 69 23 4 1 — 73 24
Union SG 2020–21 Belgian First Division B 26 17 3 1 — 29 18
2021–22 Belgian Pro League 25 18 2 1 — 27 19
Total 51 35 5 2 — 56 37
Union SG (loan) 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 12 8 0 0 — 12 8
Brighton & Hove Albion 2022–23 Premier League 22 5 5 2 3 1 30 8
VfB Stuttgart (loan) 2023–24 Bundesliga 19 14 3 1 — 22 15
Career total 258 126 22 11 3 1 283 138
  1. ^ Includes Lower Saxony Cup, DFB-Pokal, Belgian Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup

Honours

Undav with Union SG in 2020

Union SG

Individual

References

  1. ^ "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Denis Undav: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Brighton transfer news: Forward Deniz Undav signs but loaned back out". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Stuttgarts neuer Hoffnungsträger" (in German). Sport1. 4 August 2023.
  5. ^ "SV Meppen verliert Topstürmer Undav". NDR.de (in German). 7 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Meppen enttäuscht: Top-Torjäger Undav geht nach Belgien". kicker (in German). 7 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Deniz Undav a réalisé l'un de ses plus gros matches avec l'Union". dhnet.be (in French). 22 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Deniz Undav is Profvoetballer & Tessa Wullaert Profvoetbalster van het Jaar". SPORZA. 23 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Deniz Undav devient le transfert le plus cher de l'histoire de l'Union". February 2022.
  10. ^ "Albion complete deal for Deniz Undav". www.brightonandhovealbion.com. 31 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Brighton beat Manchester United at Old Trafford for First-Time in Premier League Opening Weekend". 7 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Denis Undav opens his goal account as Brighton's youngsters cash in". The Guardian. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Five-star Albion cruise into the fourth round". Brighton & Hove Albion. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  14. ^ "More Mitoma magic as Albion leave it late". Brighton & Hove Albion. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Wembley next as Albion cruise into FA Cup semi-finals". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Back on track with six of the best". Brighton & Hove Albion. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  17. ^ "It's three and easy as magnificent Albion move up to sixth". Brighton & Hove Albion. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Late goals make it tough on the Tyne for Albion". Brighton & Hove Albion. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  19. ^ "VfB sign Deniz Undav". VfB Stuttgart. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  20. ^ "VfB Stuttgart watscht RB Leipzig ab: Deniz Undav erzielt Dreierpack - erster Pflichtspielsieg im neuen Jahr" (in German). Eurosport. 27 January 2024.
  21. ^ "OFFICIEEL: Union denkt toch al vooruit en trekt topschutter uit Duitsland aan". www.voetbalprimeur.be.
  22. ^ Deniz Undav at Soccerway
  23. ^ Deniz Undav flashscore
  24. ^ "Bundesliga Player of the Month". EA Sports. Retrieved 16 December 2023.

External links

VfB Stuttgart – current squad
Belgian Pro League top scorers
Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year
Categories