Felix Nmecha enjoyed a stellar 2022/2023 season in the green of Wolfsburg. - © IMAGO/Darius Simka/IMAGO/regios24

bundesliga

Felix Nmecha: who is Borussia Dortmund's new Germany midfielder signed from Wolfsburg?

12 weeks ago

Felix Nmecha received praise from all quarters following a memorable 2022/23 campaign in which he won his first Germany cap under coach Hansi Flick.

bundesliga.com puts the Hamburg-born footballing technician under the spotlight...

Stats correct as of 3 July 2023

Felix Nmecha

Age: 22 (10 October 2000)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfield
Country: Germany (one cap)

Key stats

The son of a German mother and a Nigerian father, Nmecha - and his older brother Lukas - was born in Hamburg but moved to England with his family in 2007.

After honing their skills in the Hamburg borough of Altona, the switch to Manchester brought the young Nmechas to the attention of Premier League team Manchester City. Both went on to join the club's academy. Felix progressed to the English side's U19 team, while in 2017/18 he made the jump to the U23s.

Current City coach Pep Guardiola called the younger of the Nmecha brothers into the senior squad for the UEFA Champions League encounter against Hoffenheim in December 2018, although Felix's step up failed to result in any game time as he remained on the bench in a 2-1 home victory.

A senior City bow wouldn't be long in arriving, however, and just one month later the talented midfielder was brought on as a second-half substitute in the 2-1 EFL Cup semi-final second-leg victory against Burton Albion.

A lengthy wait for the player's next game under Guardiola followed, but he celebrated it with an assist for former Bayern Munich full-back Joao Cancelo in a 3-0 City victory against Olympiacos in the Champions League in November 2020.

In total Nmecha made just three appearances for City - a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury not helping his prospects. After his contract with the club expired in June 2021, Nmecha junior joined his older brother Lukas at Wolfsburg, where they would become the Lower Saxony-based side's first-ever sibling teammates.

Brotherly love: Felix (r.) embraces his brother Lukas during a Wolfsburg game. - Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

The 22-year-old sought to find his feet in his first season at the Volkswagen Arena, playing 16 Bundesliga games under Mark van Bommel and Florian Kohfeldt. It was in the 2022/23 campaign that the attacking midfielder took off, however, becoming a key part of the Wolfsburg team that finished eighth.

Racking up 30 Bundesliga appearances throughout the season, Nmecha registered his first Bundesliga goals with a double in Wolfsburg's 4-0 win against Bochum in October 2022. He also recorded five top-flight assists in what turned out to be a campaign to remember for the young Wolf. Nmecha was called up by his country for the first time as a result of his good form at club level, and played 58 minutes on his Germany debut against Belgium in March 2023.

A summer switch to 2022/23 Bundesliga runners up Dortmund saw him take the next step in an exciting career to date.

Plays a bit like: Zinedine Zidane

Nmecha clearly has a way to go before even coming close to matching the France great's immense feats in the game. However, with his considerable strength, excellent close control, nonchalant ball delivery and loping runs, the Wolfsburg No. 22 bears more than a passing resemblance to the legendary Zizou.

Watch: Nmecha gets off the mark with a goalscoring double

Did you know?

Like his brother Lukas, Felix represented both England and Germany at youth level. The younger Nmecha made a total of nine appearances while scoring two goals with England's U16s, U18s and U19s. He also featured for Germany's U18s and U21s in the past, and scored against England for Germany in an U21 friendly in Sheffield in September 2022.

Felix Nmecha in training during his first senior call-up for Germany. - Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

What they're saying

"Felix Nmecha is a fast, technically adept and physically strong player who will enhance our midfield both offensively and defensively with his profile." - Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

"Previously, he never got into a rhythm. He played in so many different positions. Now he's playing in midfield and you can see his technical ability. He has [also] improved physically." – Wolfsburg head coach Niko Kovac offered praise after Nmecha's goalscoring double against Bochum.

"You always [dream] of these moments when you’re younger. Especially so with Lukas, when we were playing together on the streets in Germany. And now to be in the Bundesliga together it's amazing. It's a really great feeling.” – Felix on what was like to be teammates with his brother in Germany's top division.

“I was just praying in my room. Then I got the call. I didn't recognise the number. It was a big moment for me; a big shock." – Nmecha on receiving the call from Hansi Flick to join Germany's senior squad.