Mainz sign Switzerland full-back Silvan Widmer from Basel
Mainz have completed the signing of Switzerland international Silvan Widmer, the 28-year-old joining from UEFA Champions League regulars Basel on a three-year contract.
Right-back Widmer featured in four of Switzerland's five UEFA Euro 2020 games this summer - including their victory over world champions France - on Die Nati's run to the quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Spain.
With Danny da Costa returning on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt and Philipp Mwene joining PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Mainz had a gap to plug at full-back. In former Udinese man Widmer, coach Bo Svensson thinks the 05ers have exceeded themselves.
"Silvan's an athletic type of player who has everything we need out wide, defensively," he said. "He can be used in several defensive systems, has a lot of speed and also brings an immense forward drive.
Silvan fits in perfectly with the way we want to play football. He's also an experienced player who will enrich our team not only with his footballing quality, but also with his experience and his fine manner."
Widmer - who has 28 goals and 45 assists from his 339 career games to date - could make his Mainz debut on 31 July, when they take on Italian outfit Genoa in the second of their two pre-season friendlies.