Walsall have confirmed the signing of St. Johnstone midfielder Sven Sprangler, who becomes the third new arrival of the summer at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium after signing a two-year deal.Born in Bruck an der Mur, Austria, the 31-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with the Saddlers' League Two rivals Newport County, making a total of 39 appearances for both them and the Saints.
Despite having a year remaining on his contract at McDiarmid Park, Saints boss Simo Valakari was willing to let him leave in search of more regular first-team football, with the Saddlers agreeing a fee before securing a work permit earlier this week.
A product of several clubs' youth systems, Sven turned professional in 2015, going on to play for SV Mattersburg II as well as having spells with TSV Hartberg, SV Mattersburg, Wolfsberg AC, before joining St. Johnstone in 2023.
He joins striker Andy Dallas and midfielder Lewis Simper in making the move to WS1, with the club believed to be in the market for several more signings as new head coach Lee Grant builds his side ahead of the new campaign.
Speaking via the Saddlers' official website, Grant admitted he was pleased to secure the midfielder’s services and is looking forward to working with him in WS1. He said, "I'm really pleased to have Sven with us.
"It's a deal that's been in the pipeline for a while now, and he joins the club with a real eagerness to succeed.
"He's got plenty of experience under his belt, had a successful loan spell at Newport in the second half of last season and has a variety of attributes which will be beneficial to us and complement our options in midfield.
"I'm looking forward to working with Sven and have every confidence he will be a popular figure with our supporters."