Rapid Youngster as Amane Replacement? Markus Katzer Speaks Out

Just before the end of the transfer window, SK Rapid sold Romeo Amane (Anderlecht), a strong defensive midfielder.

This leaves the long-term injured Martin Ndzie as the only classic defensive midfielder in the squad. Captain Matthias Seidl was recently retrained for this position, and Nicolas Bajlicz also played in this unusually defensive role recently.

A deal for this position was therefore expected just before the end of the transfer window, but it did not materialize. Former Rapid player Nikolas Sattlberger (Genk) was rumored as a possible loan player.

A Youngster as a Replacement?

Katzer himself told "skrapid.at": "Of course, even before Romeo's departure to Belgium, we knew that if he left, we would lose an outstanding player in that position. Therefore, we closely monitored the market, but at no point did we say that we would definitely sign a new player."

By missing out on the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, they also have fewer matches this season. "Furthermore, with Lorenz Szladits, a young player from our own academy is nearing his return; before his injury in the summer, he was already planned as an important part of our squad and is a promising central midfielder whom we want to develop and challenge," said the sporting director.

The 19-year-old has never played for Rapid's first team, but Amane's departure could open a door for him. After an ankle injury, Szladits recently played twice for Rapid II in the ADMIRAL 2. Liga.

Squad Depth Suits Katzer

Katzer is satisfied with the squad depth. He says it's not too thin, "as we also expect the return of some players who have been injured for a longer time. Claudy Mbuyi was in the squad again for the first time on Wednesday, Jakob Schöller and Daniel Nunoo – to name just two examples – are others who are expected back sooner or later. So far, we've mostly heard from outsiders that our squad is too large, but I am convinced that we will find the right balance."

The Rapid sporting director does not rule out departures; players with little playing time could still be loaned to countries where the transfer window is still open.

Katzer Does Not Rule Out Further Arrivals

An arrival could also still be presented, as unattached players can be signed even after Deadline Day.

"There are an unusually high number of good quality players who are currently without a contract and could therefore theoretically still be signed," Katzer clarified.

According to "Kurier", former WSG captain Valentino Müller is a candidate at Rapid and could fill the gap left by Romeo Amane.