Union Berlin confirm Marin Ljubicic arrival, Chris Bedia switches loan clubs | OneFootball

Two transactions involving Bundesliga club Union Berlin were confirmed Sunday. The expected arrival Croatian striker Marin Ljubicic took place in the morning. At the end of the day, die Eisernen confirmed a switch in loan clubs for Ivorian striker Chris Bedia. The 28-year-old was recalled from Hull City before being sent back to Switzerland to Young Boys on an extended 18-month-loan.

Ljubicic arrives in Köpenick – per Kicker – for a €4.5m base-transfer-fee with another €1m in add-ons. The 22-year-old fills the need for additional attacking assistance on the right-hand side. FCU managing director Horst Heldt – who interestingly once signed the non-related Dejan Ljubicic when working at FC Köln – was full of praise for his first major signing for the capital city side.

“Marin is a huge talent in his age group and has a proven capability in front of goal,” Heldt noted in a club statement. “His vision, speed and technical strengths will also give the coaching team more options in attack.“

“When you play in Austria, you naturally follow the Bundesliga,” the player himself added. “I was very pleased to hear about Union’s interest and am now happy that everything worked out.“

Bedia counts as a case in which matters simply haven’t worked out. Purchased last January from Servette for a €2m fee, Bedia managed only seven league relief appearances in 15 league matches for Union last spring. He did score once off the bench after being subbed on at the half in a match-day 32 loss to Bochum.

Bedia’s loan to the Tigers in the Championship initially went well. He scored twice in five starts through the initial eight match-days. He would nevertheless not start again afterward. Only a converted penalty off the bench would follow. He didn’t even make the match-day squad on the last four occasions.

“I haven’t been playing regularly lately, so I’m all the hungrier to be back on the pitch and make my contribution to YB’s success,” Bedia noted in a statement released by his new Swiss side, “In the past, I’ve seen how difficult it is as a guest team to get anything out of a game at Wankdorf Stadium. Now I’m looking forward to being able to play at home here.”

GGFN | Peter Weis