TSV Steinbach Haiger have completed the loan signing of teenage centre-back Julian Etse from 3. Liga side SSV Ulm 1846, in a deal that runs from 2026-02-02 to 2026-06-30. The move takes the 19-year-old defender into the Regionalliga Südwest, with the transfer officially registered as a loan transfer.
The agreement sees Etse leave Ulm, where he is currently valued at €50k, for a temporary spell with Steinbach. At the end of the loan period on 2026-06-30, the Germany- and Ghana-eligible defender is scheduled to return to SSV Ulm 1846, meaning he is not set to become a free agent when this deal expires.
Etse, listed primarily as a centre-back and wearing the number 5 shirt at TSV Steinbach, arrives with experience across the German youth system. He progressed through the ranks at VfL Bochum, moving from VfL Bochum Youth to VfL Bochum U17 on 2022-07-01 and then stepping up to VfL Bochum U19 on 2023-07-01. His first senior move came when he joined SSV Ulm 1846 on 2025-07-01, before this latest switch to Steinbach was finalised on 2026-02-02.
Standing at 1.92 m and operating as a left-footed central defender, Etse adds height and balance to Steinbach’s back line for the remainder of the 25/26 campaign in the Regionalliga Südwest. The transfer continues his development within German football, having already been involved in both youth and senior setups in the country.
Etse’s market value of €50k, last updated while he was on the books at SSV Ulm 1846, underlines his status as an emerging prospect rather than an established top-flight player, but the consistent upward movement through Bochum’s youth sides and into the professional game provides a clear trajectory. His background in Germany’s system, combined with his dual Germany/Ghana nationality, offers him potential pathways both in domestic competition and, in the longer term, at international level.
Prior to this loan, Etse had not moved outside Germany, and this spell with Steinbach keeps him in familiar surroundings while exposing him to a different competitive landscape in the Regionalliga Südwest, compared with the 3. Liga environment of SSV Ulm 1846. The structured return date of 2026-06-30 ensures Ulm retain control of his long-term future, with the option to reintegrate him into their squad or reassess his role once the loan concludes.
For TSV Steinbach Haiger, the acquisition of a tall, left-footed central defender with experience in the Bochum academy and a current valuation in the five-figure range represents a calculated move to strengthen their defensive unit for the second half of the season. For Etse, the confirmed transfer marks the next defined step in a career that has so far advanced steadily through Germany’s ranks and now hinges on how effectively he can translate his potential into consistent senior performances before returning to Ulm at the end of his loan.
