Eintracht’s on-loan XI: Matanovic one of several players impressing | OneFootball

The Eagles have three players on loan at other Bundesliga clubs, as well as three in the second division and three abroad. Another two will join Eintracht permanently this summer.

Eintracht Frankfurt currently have 11 players out on loan at other clubs. Rafael Santos Borré, who was previously on loan at Werder Bremen, joined Brazilian side Internacional on a permanent deal on 5 March. We take a closer look at the Eagles’ on-loan XI.

Mixed emotions in Bundesliga 2

Igor Matanovic has grabbed the majority of the headlines at Karlsruher SC in recent months.

After the 20-year-old forward extended his contract with Eintracht until 2029 earlier in March, board member for sport Markus Krösche confirmed: “Igor will be a key part of our team as of this summer.”

Signed from FC St. Pauli in summer 2021 and loaned straight back to the Hamburg club on a two-year deal, the striker has made his breakthrough in German football at second-tier Karlsruhe this season, scoring an impressive 11 goals in 24 appearances.

Homegrown Eintracht midfielder Antonio Foti, meanwhile, has struggled for regular game time since being loaned to Bundesliga 2 side Hannover 96 in summer 2022. The 20-year-old has made six substitute appearances in the league and one in the DFB Cup this season, not to mention three starts for Hannover’s reserves in the fourth division.

Teenager Marcel Wenig ruptured his cruciate knee ligament a few days after joining Bundesliga 2 outfit 1. FC Nürnberg in January. The 19-year-old is currently working his way back to fitness.

Hoping to impress abroad

Jens Petter Hauge has caught the eye since joining Bodø/Glimt in his native Norway earlier this year. The 24-year-old started both legs of the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout round play-off against an Ajax side featuring former team-mate Diant Ramaj, registering an assist on both occasions. Hauge played the full 120 minutes in the return leg, which the Dutch side won 2-1.

USA international Paxten Aaronson was loaned to Vitesse Arnhem, who are currently second-bottom in the Eredivisie table, at the end of the winter transfer window. The 20-year-old has played every minute of the club’s last six league fixtures, scoring twice in the process.

Jérôme Onguéné, who joined Swiss side Servette in the summer on a season-long loan deal, has not featured in his team’s matchday squad since September.

Closer to home

Croatia midfielder Kristijan Jakic has been a key part of FC Augsburg’s rise to seventh place in the Bundesliga table. FCA trail the Eagles by five points with eight games still to play, with the two teams facing off at Deutsche Bank Park on Friday 19 April (20:30 CEST).

Winger Faride Alidou scored twice in 1. FC Köln’s spectacular 3-3 draw with Rhine derby rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach a fortnight ago. The 22-year-old has fought his way into the Billy Goats’ first team since joining the club in August, scoring four goals so far.

Jessic Ngankam has yet to find the net for 1. FSV Mainz 05. The striker has made six appearances for the club since early February, including two starts. He missed Matchdays 24 and 25 through suspension after being shown a straight red card in a 2-1 defeat at Bundesliga leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen last month.

After picking up his fourth yellow card of the Swiss Super League season on his last appearance for Young Boys, Aurèle Amenda will also serve a suspension after the international break. The Swiss centre-back – like Nürnberg’s Nathaniel Brown – was signed by the Eagles in January but immediately loaned back to his former employers. The two defenders’ stats are included in the table below.

Stats at current club

*joined current side before 2023/24 season