Rapid Vienna in Sturm-Dilemma: Does Arnautovic come back?

Rapid Vienna in Sturm-Dilemma: Does Arnautovic come back?

Innsbruck, Österreich - The SK Rapid Vienna has started the preparation for the new season and sees itself as a responsibility to sign a new striker. Coach Peter Stöger made it clear that fifth place last season cannot be the goal and is aiming for an increase in performance. In addition to Marko Arnautovic, the return of Ercan Kara is also brought into focus, while the possibility of departures of players also exists. laola1 reports that rapid also examines alternative options for the offensive.

Led by Stöger, the first week of training was already used to promote young talents and bring many of the players awarded back to the team. Rapid is urgently looking for reinforcements, especially in a storm, after Guido Burgstaller has ended his career. Borrowers like Dion Beljo and Ercan Kara have now expired. The squad is still incomplete, and solutions urgently need to be found until the first Bundesliga match on the first weekend in August.

striker search and transfers

The new additions have so far been rather sparse. Rapid has signed Jannes Horn and Claude Mbuyi, the latter being considered the top scorer of the 2nd league. Stöger emphasizes that the association also wants to develop a greater presence on the offensive. However, the trainer recognizes the difficulties of realizing any transfers, especially in the case of Arnautovic, which has many options at other clubs. According to Sn it is a challenge for Rapid only with financial means.

Another aspect is the ongoing negotiation for a possible loan from Benjamin Böckle to the WSG Tyrol. The 23-year-old left-back only came to Vienna for a transfer fee of 200,000 euros in 2024 for a transfer fee of 200,000 euros. Last season he played 13 competitive games and gave five goals, and his contract runs until 2027.

transfer balance in the Bundesliga

The transfer market is characterized by numerous changes this season. There were a total of 138 departures with a transfer proceeds of 395,100,000 euros, while the access is 176 players and caused expenditure of 341,750,000 euros. The overall balance of the competition shows an increase of 53,350,000 euros. Transfermarkt documents that the average age of the access is 21.4 years old, which underlines the strategy of clubs to promote young talent.

With a clear strategy and the focus on performance increase, Rapid is working on writing the next chapter in the club. The challenges are numerous, but the anticipation for the coming season and the opportunity to fight bitter to fight the title continues to drive.