Hoffenheim have completed the signing of Mats Rots from FC Twente in a deal that has broken the Dutch club's transfer record. The Bundesliga side are paying an initial fee of around €12 million, with add-ons that can push the total to €16 million, for the 20-year-old left-back, who has signed a contract running until 2031. The fee beats the €14 million Twente received from Southampton for Dusan Tadic back in 2014, making Rots the most expensive player the Enschede club has ever sold.
Hoffenheim's managing director Andreas Schicker explained the thinking behind the move, describing Rots as a modern full-back with clean passing, good dynamism and strong attacking quality, while also possessing the physical attributes needed to hold his own in defensive duels. Hoffenheim, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, had been looking for a left-footed option who could operate both out wide and, if needed, in a more central defensive role, and they see Rots as fitting that brief for years to come given the length of his new contract.
For Twente, this is a significant loss on the pitch as well as a financial windfall. Rots came through the club's academy after joining from SV Grol in 2016, made his first-team debut in the Conference League in August 2023, and established himself as a first-choice left-back last season as Twente finished fourth in the Eredivisie. Technical director Erik ten Hag said Rots had undergone "stormy development" and left an important mark on the team's performances during that fourth-placed finish, adding that the club had known interest in him would be high because players with his profile are scarce. Twente have also built in a sell-on clause, so they stand to benefit further if Hoffenheim sell him on for a profit.
Rots's form last season is exactly why Hoffenheim moved for him. He made 37 appearances in all competitions, chipping in with four goals and four assists from left-back while regularly completing full 90 minutes, and he was rated among the better full-backs in the Eredivisie for output going forward. He briefly spent the first half of 2025 on loan at Heracles Almelo before returning to nail down the left-back spot at Twente, and he has since broken into the Netherlands under-21 squad. Reports across the Dutch press had also linked him with PSV, Porto and Newcastle United before Hoffenheim moved decisively to get the deal done.
At Hoffenheim, Rots is expected to compete straight away for the starting left-back berth, bringing the attacking threat down that flank that his new club were missing. His profile — comfortable bringing the ball out from the back, capable of tucking inside into midfield areas, and willing to get forward in support of attacks — should suit a Bundesliga side looking to build possession from deep. Given his contract runs to 2031, Hoffenheim clearly see him as a long-term piece rather than a short-term fix, and he arrives with the kind of end product from full-back that clubs at that level rarely find at 20 years old.
Rots himself called the move "bizarre" given how quickly it came together, having grown up in Twente's academy and only completed one full Eredivisie season as a regular starter. He thanked the club for his development and said he was proud to take the step up to the Bundesliga. For Twente, replacing that end product and leadership on the left side of defence will be one of the priorities of their summer business.