FC Augsburg have moved quickly to replace Keven Schlotterbeck, bringing in Abdulay Juma Bah on loan from Manchester City for the remainder of the 2026/27 season. The 20-year-old arrives after a season-long spell at Nice, with Augsburg making centre-back cover their immediate priority.
Augsburg's defensive fix
Sporting director Benjamin Weber said the club had to act after Schlotterbeck's departure. "After Keven Schlotterbeck’s departure, it was important for us to specifically strengthen our central defense," Weber told bundesliga.com. He added that Bah's "size, physique, and abilities" make him a strong fit, and pointed to the experience he has already built at a young age.
That experience is the main reason this move looks practical rather than speculative. Bah played 41 times for Nice in all competitions last season, and his last five appearances for the French club brought 394 minutes. He averaged 6.88 across those five games, with a high of 7.3 and a low of 6.2.
Bah's route to Augsburg
Bah's path has been busy for a player still only 20. He joined Manchester City from Real Valladolid in January 2025, then spent the rest of that season on loan at Lens before moving to Nice on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.
He also sees Augsburg as a place where he can keep moving. "I’m very happy to be in Augsburg, a club where young players can develop very well," Bah said. "There are many recent examples of this. That’s why this move is the next right step for me."
The move makes sense for Augsburg too. They finished ninth in the Bundesliga in 2025, while Nice finished 16th in Ligue 1 the same year, so Bah is swapping one mid-table situation for another, but with a clearer opening in the first-team picture. Augsburg could next face Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park on Matchday 2.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
