From West Bromwich Albion: GAK strengthens squad with U21 national team player

GAK has found what they were looking for in an Austrian reinforcement.

Souleyman Mandey moves from Championship team West Bromwich Albion back to Austria. The Vienna-born player is a current ÖFB U21 national team member.

"Despite his young age, Souley already brings valuable experience from English football. He is characterized by his athleticism, vision, and ball control in the center. We see enormous potential in him and are delighted that he is taking his next developmental step at GAK 1902," Sports Director Andreas Lienhart is quoted on the club's website.

Ziesler: "Absolute Dream Player"

According to President René Ziesler, they have been working intensively to sign the 20-year-old in recent weeks: "Sometimes in football, you just need a bit of patience until all the puzzle pieces ideally fall into place – which makes it all the more wonderful that this transfer has now worked out."

Mandey "was an absolute dream player from the very beginning. The fact that we were able to convince a current ÖFB U21 national team player of our path makes us proud and underscores our ambition to specifically develop young, highly talented players at GAK," says Ziesler.

From FAC via Pulse Academy and Rangers to West Bromwich

The 1.89 m tall midfielder played for FAC and Wiener Austria, among others, in his youth. In 2019, he moved to the Pulse Academy in England, and after a year with Glasgow Rangers, Mandey has been under contract with West Bromwich's U21 since 2023.

The 20-year-old also made one appearance for the "Baggies" in the Championship.