Chukwuemeka and Wanner set to bolster Austria
The arrival of two new exciting options in midfield provides welcomed depth for Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick ahead of World Cup 2026.
Dortmund dynamo Chukwuemeka commits to Austria
He joins PSV star Wanner in switching allegiances
Austria coach Rangnick could hand both players their debut in March
With three months to go until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick has not one but two high-profile reinforcements in midfield, with Carney Chukwuemeka and Paul Wanner now both eligible to play for the Austrian national side. Their switches have been confirmed on the FIFA Change of Association Platform.
Rangnick and the Austrian Football Association had been working for years to secure the services of the two Austria-born midfielders. Chukwuemeka previously came through the England youth ranks, while ex-Bayern player Wanner represented Germany at youth level. Neither player had made a senior appearance, making them eligible to switch to Austria.
“The exchange with the Austrian Football Association has been ongoing”, said Wanner, who moved to PSV Eindhoven last summer, in an interview with Sky. “With Ralf Rangnick and his coaching staff I have had a very open and honest dialogue for a long time”, he added.
Rangnick is known for his meticulous approach and his powers of persuasion seem to have been the deciding factor for Wanner and Chukwuemeka. With these two exciting talents now given the green light to play for Austria, the former Bundesliga coach has more options in midfield for the World Cup.
Chukwuemeka can play as a central or attacking midfielder, while Wanner is also comfortable in those two positions, as well as the right wing. Chukwuemeka (6'2") and Wanner (6'1") also add physical presence to Austria’s midfield. In recent tournaments, aerial threats from set pieces have been a popular tactic for many teams and there are no other midfielders in the Austrian squad over the height of 5’11”.
Both players have a good chance of making their debut for Rangnick’s squad in the upcoming friendlies against Ghana and South Korea. The 67-year-old has favoured a 4-2-3-1 with Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager in the double pivot, but Schlager is currently sidelined with an adductor injury. Either of the new recruits could replace Schlager in the centre of midfield, though Wanner would be the more attacking option.
That would allow Chukwuemeka’s Dortmund team-mate, Marcel Sabitzer, to continue playing on the left flank, from where he racked up seven goal contributions in eight games during the World Cup qualifying campaign. Konrad Laimer could also remain in his familiar right-back position, giving Rangnick greater depth in multiple positions than he had just a few days ago.
Romano Schmid of Werder Bremen appeared to have made the right-wing role his own, but with just three goals in 31 appearances for Austria, his place in the starting eleven is now far from certain. Wanner’s attributes as a dribbler and playmaker could also earn him game time in that position – though Christoph Baumgartner of RB Leipzig remains first choice at the No10.
So far this season, however, Austria’s two newcomers have experienced contrasting fortunes: Chukwuemeka has struggled to move beyond an impact-sub role for Dortmund, with Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha preferred ahead of him. After a difficult start at PSV, Wanner has recently played his way into the Dutch side’s starting eleven and has started each of last three Champions League matches in a more attacking role.
The switch to Austria does not guarantee a starting place for either player, particularly given the amount of experience the midfield trio of Schlager, Seiwald and Baumgartner have playing together for their club RB Leipzig. Only three friendlies remain for the new players to make a lasting impression on Rangnick, before his Austria side kick off their World Cup campaign against Jordan at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on 17 June.
But even if the new recruits fail to secure a place in the starting eleven, they will nonetheless add depth to the squad and offer Rangnick two different options from those previously available to him. At the very least, Chukwuemeka and Wanner could make an immediate impact from the bench as Austria look to make history in their first World Cup appearance for 28 years.