Two years ago Evan Rotundo moved from the USA to FC Schalke 04’s U17 team with great expectations. Now he has left the club again.
FC Schalke 04 loses a US youth international. Evan Rotundo is transferring with immediate effect to the Belgian club KRC Genk. There, the attacking midfielder signed a contract until 30 June 2025, which was possible because the transfer window in Belgium was open until Tuesday.
In Genk, he will initially play for the youth team of the Belgian U23 team, which competes in the second Belgian league, the Challanger Pro League. The Belgian club confirmed this via social media on Tuesday. Retundo himself also confirmed the move: “I am very excited to announce my signing with KRC Genk and can’t wait to take the next step of my journey with this club,” Rotundo wrote on Instagram.
The Königsblauen and their Knappenschmiede thus lose a hopeful talent who moved to S04 from California in the summer of 2020 with high hopes and expectations. The next step was supposed to be to bring the three-time American U17 international to the Knappen’s professional team. With these expectations Rotundo had also come to Germany to the U17 of the Knappenschmiede.
Only one appearance this season
However, the American was unable to make a lasting impression and recommend himself in the U19s of the Königsblauen. Last season, as a youngster, he made twelve appearances in the championship round and scored one goal. He did not become a key player. This season, he was only substituted in the opening defeat against Borussia Dortmund shortly before the end. He was not in Norbert Elgert’s squad for the following two games.
So now he has decided to take on a new challenge. And directly in the men’s sector. For FC Schalke 04, the expectations they had two years ago with the signing of the then 16-year-old were not fulfilled at first.
However, another former American young talent is currently proving that the switch does not have to be a step backwards. Haji Wright, too, was unable to establish himself at the Knappen – albeit already at the professional level. In the meantime, as a professional of Antalyaspor, he is stirring up the Turkish Süper Lig with five goals in the first five games of the season and has also become an American senior international. Rotundo will have similar things in mind.
