According to Florian Plettenberg, Heidenheim is nearing the completion of a noteworthy January transfer. The club, known as the Ostalbenschwaben, is set to acquire winger Christian Conteh, the younger brother of Sirlord Conteh, from Eintracht Braunschweig. Reports suggest that the 26-year-old Christian will be in Baden-Württemberg on Monday for a medical examination.
The transfer fee for Christian is expected to be around €2 million. Sirlord previously joined Heidenheim for €700,000 from Paderborn ahead of the 2024/25 season. In his first season with Heidenheim, Sirlord made headlines by breaking the Bundesliga speed record twice during a rivalry with Bochum’s Gerrit Holtmann.
Unfortunately, following his initial goal of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, Sirlord had to undergo meniscus surgery and has missed a significant portion of the season. He did return just before the Christmas break and featured in Heidenheim’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Köln last Saturday.
Both brothers typically excel in similar positions on the right flank, but they also have the versatility to play on the left or in central attacking roles. During his time with Heidenheim, Sirlord has often operated as a right wingback or even as a fullback under coach Frank Schmidt.
The Story of the Conteh Brothers
The Conteh siblings were both born in Hamburg to Ghanaian parents and developed their skills in northern Germany’s youth academies. While Sirlord spent some time further north in Lübeck, Christian remained in Hamburg. They both eventually progressed to FC St. Pauli. Sirlord dedicated four full seasons to the reserves in the fourth tier before making his mark in professional football with Magdeburg in the 3. Liga at the age of 23.
Sirlord’s journey continued through five additional seasons with Magdeburg and Paderborn in the German third and second divisions, finally landing him in the Bundesliga at 28. Christian’s ascent was quicker; after two seasons with the St. Pauli reserves, he was playing in the 2. Bundesliga the same year Sirlord debuted in the 3. Liga.
Christian even caught Feyenoord’s attention after scoring two goals in seven appearances during the 2019/20 2. Bundesliga season. However, he only made two appearances in the Eredivisie for De Stadionclub, leading to three loan spells. He eventually returned to Germany upon signing with Osnabrück in the second division ahead of the 2023/24 season.
In that season, the brothers faced off against each other in the German second division, with Sirlord playing for Paderborn and Christian for Osnabrück. Sirlord then moved up to the Bundesliga while Christian transferred to Braunschweig, where the team struggled throughout the 2. Bundesliga season. This year, Christian has achieved a career-high with four goals for the Lower Saxon Lions.