Team

HSV sign Yussuf Poulsen

The Danish striker has made the switch to Hamburg from RB Leipzig. “He knows exactly what it takes to stay up after winning promotion and how to establish yourself long-term in the Bundesliga,” said HSV board member for sport Stefan Kuntz.

HSV have added another reinforcement for the new season in the form of a seasoned Bundesliga veteran. Yussuf Poulsen has moved to Hamburg from RB Leipzig, signing his contract on Sunday evening (13th July) after passing his medical at the UKE Athleticum.

“You don’t need to say much about Yussuf Poulsen,” said Stefan Kuntz. “He’s one of the faces of the Bundesliga. With all his experience and maturity, he knows every side of professional football. Yussuf went on the journey with Leipzig from the third division all the way to the Champions League, so he knows exactly what it takes to stay up after winning promotion and how to establish yourself long-term in the Bundesliga. That’s the kind of experience we want him to bring to the team, and we expect him to lead the way with his personality and presence as a senior player,” explained the HSV board member.

Director of football Claus Costa also pointed to the combination of footballing qualities, strong character and Bundesliga experience as the key reason for the signing: “Yussi is a highly driven and ambitious player who showed real enthusiasm for the challenge at HSV right from our first conversations. He’s a versatile centre-forward whose playing style fits our profile perfectly. He brings great intensity and a real willingness to press, and he’s never afraid to put in the hard yards when closing down. It’s exactly this complete package that we believe will benefit us in the Bundesliga.”

Yussuf Yurary Poulsen was born on 15th June 1994 in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and a Tanzanian father. He began playing football at the age of six with Boldklubben Skjold, where he spent eight years progressing through the youth ranks before moving to Lyngby BK at 14. The 1.92-metre-tall forward made his professional debut for Lyngby during the 2011/12 season at just 17 years of age. Although the team were relegated to the second tier of Danish football at the end of that season, Poulsen’s performances stood out, attracting the attention of then third-tier side RB Leipzig and their coach Ralf Rangnick, who brought him to Germany in the summer of 2013.

With Leipzig, he celebrated promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 2014, followed two years later by promotion to the Bundesliga. Since 2016, the centre-forward has made 233 appearances in Germany’s top flight, scoring 49 goals and providing 27 assists. In 2022 and 2023, he also lifted the DFB-Pokal with RB Leipzig and featured 41 times for the Red Bulls in the Champions League, registering two goals and six assists.

Poulsen made his senior debut for the Danish national team at just 18 years of age, featuring in a 1-1 draw against Mexico on 31st January 2013 under head coach Morten Olsen. He now boasts a wealth of international experience with 87 caps and 14 goals for the side affectionately known as Danish Dynamite. With his move to HSV, Poulsen joins a club with a proud tradition of Danish players – from legends like Ole Björnmose and Lars Bastrup, to fan favourites such as Stig Tøfting and Thomas Gravesen, and most recently striker Mikkel Kaufmann.

“HSV are a fantastic club. The first European game I ever watched was the UEFA Cup match between F.C. Copenhagen and HSV [Ed. note: HSV won 1-0 in 2005]. I hope to be able to earn a lot of appreciation here. I always give it my all and leave my heart on the pitch during every training session and game. I’m also looking forward to the fans and the atmosphere at the Volksparkstadion. I was able to experience it with Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal – that was incredible. I’ve always said that I hoped that HSV would soon be able to return to the Bundesliga. I know what it’s like to earn promotion and know first-hand the euphoria that brings. I want to be as successful as possible and hope that we will be able to enjoy a great season together,” said Poulsen, who will wear the number 15 shirt for the Rothosen. The striker will travel to join the team at training camp at the adidas HomeGround in Herzogenaurach on Monday, where the Rothosen will remain until Friday (18th July) as part of their preparations for the upcoming season.