The 22-year-old full-back arrives on a free transfer from Hamburger SV
SV Darmstadt 98 have signed William Mikelbrencis. The 22-year-old French full-back joins the Lilies on a free transfer after his contract with Hamburger SV expired at the end of June. Last season, Mikelbrencis made 26 appearances in the Bundesliga.
The right-footed player was trained in the youth academy of FC Metz and made the leap to professional football there. In 2022, he made a total of 14 competitive appearances for the first team, including nine matches in Ligue 1. Mikelbrencis made his debut in France's top flight at the age of 18.
68 games for Hamburger SV
Mikelbrencis transferred to Hamburger SV in August 2022. The full-back made a total of 68 competitive appearances for HSV. In 2025, he helped Hamburg achieve promotion to the Bundesliga. Last season, he played in 26 Bundesliga matches.
"With him, we're getting a player who, despite being only 22 years old, has already gained considerable experience and is also familiar with the league," says Darmstadt's sporting director, Paul Fernie. Mikelbrencis demonstrated his qualities in Hamburg and received significant playing time in the Bundesliga, particularly last season.
Mikelbrencis will wear the number 25 jersey
The new signing himself explains his decision to join Darmstadt 98 with the talks and impressions he gained on site. "The management made a real effort to sign me and showed me that they really wanted me on their team," says Mikelbrencis. He ultimately had "the best overall feeling" in Darmstadt.
Mikelbrencis also has international experience at the youth level. He has played a total of 21 international matches for the French national teams at the U16, U18, U19 and U21 levels.
William Mikelbrencis will wear the number 25 jersey .
(DARMSTADT – RED/SV98)
Featured image: SV98
