Auckland FC sign ex-Phoenix star Alex Paulsen on loan from Premier League club Bournemouth

Yellow and black, to red and black and now blue and black.

Former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen has made three kit changes in as many months on a journey taking him from Wellington to the United Kingdom and now back to his hometown of Auckland.

This A-League Men’s season, after signing a loan deal from English Premier League club Bournemouth AFC, the 22-year-old All White will be between the goalposts for Auckland FC as they embark on their inaugural campaign.

Paulsen’s reported $4 million move to Bournemouth, who are owned by Auckland FC majority owner Bill Foley, immediately sparked questions as to whether a move back to Auckland was possible and Nix fan’s worst fears have been realised as the announcement of the signing was made today in Auckland.

Paulsen’s participation in the A-League is subject to approval of amendments to the A-League Player Contract Regulations by Football Australia, namely the ‘Caceres Clause’ which was installed to prevent financial imbalance in the league by multi-club systems.

This approval forms part of the formal regulations review process with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) that occurs ahead of each season.

Auckland FC CEO, Nick Becker, said that all A-League clubs were in agreement that the Caceres Clause - having been installed at a time where there was only one multi-club system in the league - needed reviewing.

“We’ve been talking about it collectively as a league for months now, ever since the end of last season. Every single club agreed that it’s not the right rule for us where we are now and it’s going to be taken out.”

Wellington were quick to respond to the announcement and in a statement from Phoenix general manager David Dome, said they would be seeking clarification on the move.

“The Wellington Phoenix are seeking further information about Alex Paulsen’s loan move from A.F.C. Bournemouth to Auckland FC. While the club in principle supports adapting the ‘Caceres Clause’ to allow Paulsen to return to the Isuzu UTE A-League for the 2024-25 season, it has a number of questions that have yet to be answered by Australian Professional Leagues (APL).

“Most importantly we don’t know what ‘player registration and salary cap treatment guardrails’ will be in place that APL say will ‘balance development of the A-League while ensuring competition integrity’. We also note all player contract regulations and competition policies have yet to be approved by Football Australia.”

Alex Paulsen has signed for Auckland FC on loan from English Premier League club Bournemouth AFC.

After leaving Tāmaki Makaurau in 2018 as a 15-year-old to join the Phoenix academy due to a lack of professional opportunities, that opportunity has now presented itself for Paulsen in the form of the Black Knights.

He arrives at Auckland FC as the 2023/24 A-League goalkeeper of the year, fans’ A-League player of the year, and joint winner of the young A-League footballer of the year award.

He also played every minute of the Phoenix’s historic season that ended in heartbreak on the cusp of a grand final appearance, and his breakout season saw him keep a club record of 12 clean sheets in 27 league matches and save three penalties.

Upon his return from the Paris Olympics with the OlyWhites, Paulsen linked up with his new teammates ahead of their pre-season trip to Sydney and in a statement said playing in front of his whānau and friends was a major driver in his decision to sign for Auckland FC.

“Auckland is my home, and I haven’t had many opportunities to play in my city and in front of my friends and family. I’m really excited by the opportunity to return to my hometown and continue to develop as a player,” said Paulsen.

“There is so much excitement around the club and what we’re building here. I’ve only been home for a few days and I’ve seen people walking around in the new home strip and you can feel the energy around the club and the city.”

Becker called the signing proof of the chances that now exist for young New Zealand football talent through the addition of Auckland FC and its multi-club network in the European top leagues.

“Alex is one of only two current New Zealanders signed to a Premier League club and it’s perfectly normal for a young keeper at Alex’s level to go out on loan. The benefit for Paulsen and the A-leagues is we can bring him back home to play his loan period in Auckland,” Becker said.

Paulsen's signing has ignited the local derby rivalry with his former club, Wellington Phoenix.

Born in Auckland’s eastern suburbs to a South African father and Namibian mother, Paulsen’s roots are in futsal and he only became a keeper at age 13 after playing in the outfield initially.

An export of Onehunga Sports Club like Auckland FC teammate Max Mata and All Whites’ midfielder Sarpreet Singh, Paulsen made the move to the Phoenix academy through their affiliate system and progressed quickly through the youth ranks.

After Oli Sail departed the Phoenix for Perth Glory before the 2023/24 season, coach Giancarlo Italiano promoted Paulsen to the starting goalkeeper position and on their way to a second-placed regular season finish the club conceded the lowest number of goals in their history.

The Phoenix and Auckland FC were always going to be fierce local rivals and Paulsen’s signing has only added fuel to that particular sporting fire.

The two clubs will play their first A-League Men’s derby on November 2 in Wellington and there will be one name in particular that will receive increased attention when the lineups are announced at Sky Stadium.

What nature that attention will manifest itself in from Wellington fans is an intriguing question, as one of the main reasons for their most successful season in club history walks out against them in an attempt to stop history repeating.

Will Toogood is an online sports editor for the NZ Herald. He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News, covering sport and events.