FC Augsburg have secured the services of Austria international Michael Gregoritsch. The 31-year-old joins the club on loan from Danish top-flight side Brondby IF until the end of the season, with the Bundesliga outfit with an option to make the move permanent.
Gregoritsch previously wore Augsburg colours from 2017 to 2022, with a brief interruption during a loan spell at FC Schalke 04. He made 129 competitive appearances for the Fuggerstädter in that period, scoring 31 goals and providing eight assists.
After leaving Augsburg, the striker moved to the Breisgau, where he scored 30 goals and set up a further 12 in 107 competitive matches for SC Freiburg, including eight goals in 15 Europa League games. Across his Bundesliga career, he has found the net 59 times and registered 25 assists in 270 appearances.
In November, Gregoritsch also fired Austria to their first World Cup qualification since 1998 with the decisive goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has earned 72 caps for the national team to date, scoring 23 goals and providing six assists.
FCA sporting director Benni Weber said: “Michael has shown his qualities not only at FCA but also at other Bundesliga clubs. With him, we gain an experienced, strong aerial striker who can help the team both on and off the pitch and will be important for us, especially in decisive phases of games.”
Gregoritsch is also relishing his return to Augsburg: “When the opportunity to join Augsburg came up, I was immediately fired up. Contact with Augsburg was never lost, and I really wanted to take on this challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces again and have fond memories of my time under Manuel Baum. That’s something we want to build on now and move quickly away from the lower reaches of the table.”