French talent Kentin Mahé joins HSV Hamburg

Just several days after they had qualified for the quarter-finals of the VELUX EHF Champions League despite a defeat in the second leg against RK Celje Pivovarna Laško HSV Hamburg announced another transfer for the upcoming season. French talent Kentin Mahé signed a three years contract at the German side.

The French international (seven caps for Les Bleus) arrives from another German club VfL Gummersbach, Mahé will replace left wing Fredrik Petersen, who will join VELUX EHF Champions League club Füchse Berlin from next season on.

Mahé, who was top scorer and most valuable player at the 2010 U18 EHF EURO, is currently recovering from a hip injury. “I want to help Gummersbach not to relegate to the second division until the end of the season, then I make a huge step, I want to take the profit from – also HSV hopefully will profit,” Mahé was quoted on the HSV website.

Originally Mahé was supposed to join the HSV team in 2014, but after new negotiations, both clubs agreed on the transfer already in this year. “We are really happy to have signed this variable talent. So the plans for our future squad get more and more concrete,” HSV coach Martin Schwalb said. And club director Christoph Wendt added: “Despite his young age, Kentin Mahé has a huge understanding of the game. He will be an important piece of our future puzzle.”

HSV had already signed Adrian Pfahl, Henrik Toft Hansen and Petar Đorđić before. Several experienced players like Igor Vori, Dan Beutler or Michael Kraus will leave the 2011 German champions after this season.