There are three players in the FSV Mainz 05 squad with whom the club could earn good money if they are sold – provided they either change clubs by September 1 or extend their contracts that expire in summer 2024: striker Jonathan Burkardt and midfielder Anton Stach and Leandro Barreiro. The latter is likely to be the focus of other clubs. The Luxembourger was one of the best Mainz professionals last season.
How long he will stay in 05 is one of the most intriguing questions when it comes to squad composition. Christian Heidel also sees no alternative to the options “go” and “extend”. “We don’t want to start the season with an expiring contract,” emphasized the sports director during the training camp in Schladming. Apparently he hasn’t received any requests for the 23-year-old yet. “By the way, no one has called for Stachi,” adds the manager.
One question is where the 110-time Bundesliga player could find Barreiro without being in the second row. The top clubs in the league are out of the question, behind them there are several who can at least pay more money than Mainz. Heidel does not expect Barreiro to plan a departure that will leave his club empty-handed. “I haven’t spoken to Leo yet, but he’s a smart kid,” he says. “It’s hard for me to imagine him leaving the club that got him from youth to where he is now on a free transfer next year.”
Barreiro could set standards by extending his contract in Mainz at least until mid-2025, with a view to leaving in the summer of 2024, so that the 05ers can earn a decent transfer fee. Something like this has only happened once in the history of the Rheinhessen: Ádám Szalai could have switched from Mainz to FC Schalke on a free transfer in 2013, but deliberately signed a new contract with Heidel, which brought in five million euros for the 05ers.
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Jonathan Burkardt, who hasn’t been able to train properly since his knee injury suffered against Eintracht Frankfurt in November and has had two operations after unsuccessful conservative treatment, is currently in Styria. Only as an observer of what my colleagues are rehearsing on the pitch, but as a welcome colleague. He doesn’t have to integrate him, says coach Bo Svensson. “Johnny integrates himself. He’s a great guy who is held in high esteem by the team.”