SC Freiburg have officially completed the signing of Tunisian prospect Louey Ben Farhat. The 20-year-old joins from 2. Bundesliga side Karlsruher SC, signing a contract until 2029, the club announced on Tuesday. The transfer fee is reported by Transfermarkt to be €7.5 million. Ben Farhat will, however, spend the remainder of the 2026/27 season on loan back at Karlsruhe before linking up with Freiburg in the summer of 2027. The news was first reported by ca.sports.yahoo.com.
The new arrival joins the Bundesliga leaders, who have started the season perfectly with two wins from two games, sitting top with 6 points. Having scored five goals and conceded just one, Freiburg boasts a +4 goal difference at the summit. Their next challenge is a home match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on September 12, as shown in the fixtures list.
Who is the new player?
Louey Ben Farhat is a 20-year-old attacking player who moved to Karlsruher SC from Stuttgarter Kickers at the age of 17. For KSC, he made 36 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga, scoring nine goals and providing three assists. He has already featured in the last two matchdays of the current campaign. His profile fits the philosophy of sporting director Klemens Hartenbach. "We're delighted to have signed such an exciting young player in Louey," Hartenbach said. "He's technically very gifted, reads space well and can pose a goal threat himself, while also having the ability to find his teammates in dangerous positions."
How will the transfer work?
The deal between SC Freiburg and Karlsruher SC involves an immediate purchase followed by a loan back. Ben Farhat will therefore spend the entire 2026/27 season with the second-division club to gain further match experience. The player himself expressed relief at concluding the negotiations. "It's been a long time coming, so I'm delighted to have finalised everything with Freiburg today," Ben Farhat said. "Karlsruhe have stayed in touch throughout, and we've had some very detailed discussions recently about the next steps in my development." Prior to the agreement with Freiburg, the Tunisian had also been linked with a move to last season's Europa League finalists, Eintracht Frankfurt.
Where does he fit into the full squad?
The signing of Ben Farhat is an investment in SC Freiburg's future. His contract runs until the summer of 2029. The attacker will bolster the team next summer, when players like the currently sidelined Florent Muslija and Rihito Yamamoto, listed on the injuries page, are hopefully back available. The team's current strong position at the top of the standings provides the club with the stability to execute such long-term planning. Christian Streich's side now focuses fully on the next league match against Mönchengladbach on September 12 at the Europa-Park Stadion, where they aim to continue their winning run.
