FC Augsburg has signed South Korean international Jong Vu Seol from Red Star Belgrade. The transfer of the left-sided defender was agreed on Monday, with the Serbian club receiving a base fee of four million euros, as reported by srpske.rs.
Seol leaves Belgrade after two successful years, making 101 appearances, scoring eight goals, and providing 16 assists. With Red Star, he won two domestic doubles. The 24-year-old moves to the Bundesliga, where Augsburg finished tenth last season. The Fuggerstädter earned 33 points from 29 games, scoring 36 goals and conceding 53.
What does the deal mean for Red Star?
For Red Star Belgrade, the sale is financially sound business. The club signed Seol from Ulsan Hyundai in the summer of 2024 for 1.5 million euros. The agreed base fee of four million euros therefore represents a significant increase in value. Performance-related add-ons worth up to 1.5 million euros are also possible. Furthermore, the Serbian champions secured a 10 percent sell-on clause for any future transfer.
Coach Alberto Rivera must now prepare his team for the decisive Europa League playoff second leg against Viktoria Plzen without the defender. Red Star won the first leg 3-0, with Mirko Ivanic scoring twice. It is unclear if Seol will feature in the second leg on August 27th in the Czech Republic. The club had already secured a potential replacement in Japanese defender Yuta Nakayama from Machida Zelvia.
Where does Seol fit into the Augsburg squad?
Seol strengthens Augsburg's defensive side, which conceded 53 goals last season, the third-highest total in the league. His playing style was described in a report as "the kind of player who rarely makes a mistake anyone remembers, which for a fullback is the highest compliment there is." His experience in international competitions and his versatility on the left flank offer manager Michael Wimmer new options.
The move comes just before the start of the Bundesliga season. Augsburg's first match is on August 30th against FC Schalke 04 at the WWK ARENA. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures page. The squad Seol is joining is listed on our squad page.
What challenges await Augsburg?
The new season presents major challenges for FC Augsburg. The team finished the 2025 campaign with 33 points, a full 43 points behind champions Bayern Munich. Recent form before the summer break was disappointing, with five winless matches (DDLLL). The signing of Jong Vu Seol is a targeted move to stabilize the defense.
Integrating the South Korean into the team and the tactical system is now the priority. The final standings from last season and detailed statistics are available on our standings page. The coming weeks will show if this reinforcement is enough to reverse the negative trends of last season and make the 2026/27 campaign more successful.
