TSG Hoffenheim have confirmed the signing of Patrick Wimmer from VfL Wolfsburg, with the Austria international putting pen to paper on a long-term contract at the PreZero Arena running through to 2031. The deal, announced on 3 June, saw Hoffenheim trigger a release clause in Wimmer's Wolfsburg contract that became active once Wolfsburg were relegated from the Bundesliga, with the fee reported at around €10 million.
Hoffenheim moved quickly once that clause was live. Sporting director Paul Pajduch said Wimmer had drawn interest from clubs in Germany and abroad after Wolfsburg went down, and that the club were "all the more delighted" to get the deal done. Pajduch pointed to Wimmer's versatility across the front line and his willingness to put in defensive work as reasons he suits head coach Christian Ilzer's approach, describing his "intense playing style and tackling ability" as a strong fit for how Hoffenheim want to play. The 25-year-old already has Bundesliga pedigree, which reduces the usual adjustment period for a new arrival.
For Wolfsburg, this is one of the direct costs of going down. Wimmer joined from Arminia Bielefeld in the summer of 2022 and had become an established first-team presence, making 104 competitive appearances over four seasons and contributing 14 goals and 18 assists in that spell. Losing a player of that output on the wing, on a release clause rather than a fee Wolfsburg could negotiate up, is exactly the kind of squad damage that compounds relegation — clubs going down tend to lose their better players cheaply just as they need to start rebuilding for the division below.
Wimmer's form in his final Bundesliga season with Wolfsburg held up despite the club's struggles. He was a regular starter, making around 24 appearances and contributing four goals and three assists, including both goals in home and away wins over Union Berlin. He remained a first-choice attacker even as results went against Wolfsburg, which is part of why Hoffenheim were willing to move for him as soon as his clause was triggered. He is also set to represent Austria at this summer's World Cup, adding to his profile as a proven international performer.
At Hoffenheim, Wimmer is expected to add directness and end product from wide areas, either as a left winger or in a front three, and to offer Ilzer another route to goal beyond the players who carried that load last season. A six-figure appearance tally in the Bundesliga already, allied to a long contract, points to a player Hoffenheim see as a long-term fixture rather than a short-term fix. How quickly he adapts to a new dressing room and system will be the main variable heading into pre-season.