Huddersfield Town have signed German striker Elias Kachunga from FC Ingolstadt on a season-long loan with the potential of a permanent deal.

The 24-year-old, who has notched 43 goals and 21 assists in 163 games at club level, will compete with last season’s top scorer Nahki Wells for the frontline berth under David Wagner.

Town’s German head coach has long tracked the career of Cologne-born Kachunga, a former German Under 21 international who qualifies to play for DR Congo.

Kachunga, who is taking part in Town’s ongoing Swedish training camp, came through Borussia Monchengladbach’s youth system.

After loans to Osnabruck, Hertha Berlin and Paderborn, whom he helped win promotion to the Bundesliga, he joined the latter for £225,000 in 2014.

Ingolstadt, who face Town in a pre-season friendly in Austria next month, paid a club-record £1.1m for him a year ago.

He has a contract to 2019, but has struggled to settle at the Bundesliga club.

However Wagner is convinced of his quality and has made him his seventh summer signing for the first team.

That’s after Kachunga’s compatriots Chris Lowe and Michael Hefele, Dutchman Rajiv van La Parra, Croatian Ivan Paurevic, Jack Payne and keeper Joel Coleman.

Town face Ingolstadt on Friday, July 29 as part of their pre-season trip to Austria.

Wagner said: “This transfer is perfect for us, as we get to see how Elias adapts to English football first.

“If he does as well as we believe he can, a permanent transfer is our option.

“It’s our aim to help him quickly get back to the level he had in Paderborn, where he was one of the highest-rated young strikers in the Bundesliga in Germany.

“Sometimes you need a hard experience as a young player, which he had last season, to make steps forward.

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“I'm very happy to have Elias in our squad and I'm sure with his pace, mobility and working attitude he gives another great option up front, which we needed for the upcoming season.

"It was a big target of ours in this summer window to bring in senior competition for Nahki Wells and I believe that is what Elias will give.”