Verhounig: Good talks with Austria, but...

Phillip Verhounig's transfer to Wolfsberger AC became official on Tuesday.

The Lavanttal side signs the 20-year-old for three years >>>

The 1.85-meter tall striker was a rather hot transfer prospect. Besides WAC, Wiener Austria was also interested in the former captain of FC Liefering.

Talks with Austria went well, according to "Krone". What ultimately swayed the decision in favor of WAC? "Above all, the prospect and the clear plan for me were very convincing," Verhounig explains in an interview with "Krone".

Family lives only 20 kilometers from Wolfsberg

Of course, proximity to his family also played a role. They live just 20 kilometers from Wolfsberg, in Griffen.

"For now, I plan to live at home. Everyone is happy that I'm back. We saw each other often when I was in Salzburg, but now they can be there for all home games at the stadium."

Verhounig: "Want to become an important player"

A return to Wolfsberg was somewhat obvious. After all, Verhounig already played in WAC's youth teams from 2016 to 2020 before moving to Salzburg.

In the City of Mozart, he primarily demonstrated his goal-scoring prowess in the ADMIRAL 2. Liga: He scored 23 goals in 63 appearances for FC Liefering. He also became top scorer of the UEFA Youth League in 2024/25.

Now, the Carinthian wants to prove himself in the Bundesliga for the first time: "I want to bring everything that defines me here and become an important player. That, of course, includes scorer points in my position. I want to collect as many of those as possible."