Rot-Weiss Essen currently have 15 players under contract for the new season. Of course, this does not mean that these 15 men will also play for RWE in 2024/2025.
The league in which Rot-Weiss Essen will play in the coming season has still not been decided. The 3rd division is certain, but we can still dream of the 2nd Bundesliga.
15 players – as of April 15, 2024 – are under contract with RWE from July 1, 2024. This includes three central defenders, Jose-Enrique Rios Alonso, Aaron Manu and Mustafa Kourouma.
Essen is still fighting for a red-white future with Felix Götze. From RWE’s point of view, four central defenders – Alonso, Manu, Kourouma and Götze – will also be under contract for the new season. Forecasting information suggests that another central defender, preferably a left-footer, will be signed, regardless of the Götze situation.
One thing is clear: if Götze ends up leaving, two new central defenders will be needed. And: Manu, who has played no role at all this season, will not accept a possible offer to terminate his contract and will keep his contract until June 30, 2025.
The home-grown player Mustafa Kourouma is also aware of these plans. The 21-year-old, who is still tied to RWE until the summer of 2025, cannot be satisfied with his situation as a supplementary player. In January 2024, he already emphasized: “I want to show myself and also prove that I can be more than just a stopgap. “
After the 3:1 win in the Lower Rhine Cup against Ratingen, Kourouma, who scored the 1:0, repeated these words: “It’s not a nice situation to be at the back. But I’m doing my best and want to make it as difficult as possible for the coach.”
13 appearances, two goals, 770 minutes in the league and five games (two goals against BVB II and MSV, one assist, 450 minutes) in the Lower Rhine Cup: that’s Kourouma’s record in the 2023/2024 season. The defender, who can always be relied on if the worst comes to the worst, is not satisfied with these figures.
As Forecasting has now learned, the competition is also aware of the 1.86-metre defender’s dissatisfaction. Third division clubs SC Verl, Erzgebirge Aue and VfB Stuttgart, who are still hoping to be promoted to the third division, have already put out feelers for Kourouma. The latter is said to be not averse to an early move in the summer.
Here is an overview of the contract situation in the Essen squad
Goalkeeper
Jakob Golz – contract until June 30, 2025
Ole Springer – contract until June 30, 2025
Felix Wienand – Contract until June 30, 2025
Defense
Felix Götze – Contract until June 30, 2024
Fabian Rüth – Contract until June 30, 2024
Ahmed Etri – contract until June 30, 2024 – moves to TSG Hoffenheim II
Sascha Voelcke – Contract until June 30, 2024
Sandro Plechaty – Contract until June 30, 2024
José-Enrique Ríos Alonso – Contract until June 30, 2025
Lucas Brumme – Contract until June 30, 2025
Mustafa Kourouma – Contract until June 30, 2025
Aaron Manu – Contract until June 30, 2025
Ekin Celebi – Contract until June 30, 2025
Eric Voufack – Contract until June 30, 2025
Andreas Wiegel – Contract until June 30, 2025
Midfield
Cedric Harenbrock – Contract until June 30, 2024
Torben Müsel – Contract until June 30, 2025
Isaiah Young – Contract until June 30, 2024
Thomas Eisfeld – Contract until June 30, 2025
Björn Rother – Contract until June 30, 2024
Nils Kaiser – Contract until June 30, 2024
Marvin Obuz – Contract until June 30, 2024, on loan from 1. FC Köln
Vinko Sapina – Contract until June 30, 2025
Attack
Ron Berlinski – Contract until June 30, 2024
Moussa Doumbouya – Contract until June 30, 2025
Leonardo Vonic – Contract until June 30, 2026