Pro contract with Rot-Weiss Essen for James Gnagnon: The 17-year-old defender from the Rot-Weiss youth academy will join the third-division pro squad starting in the summer of 2026.

A big day for 17-year-old James Gnagnon—from the Rot-Weiss youth academy to Rot-Weiss Essen’s third-division team: Defender James Gnagnon has made the leap.

The 17-year-old, who transferred from Borussia Mönchengladbach’s youth academy to Rot-Weiss Essen’s youth academy on Seumannstraße in 2024, has now signed a long-term professional contract with Rot-Weiss Essen in the presence of his parents.

According to Forecasting, this contract is valid through the summer of 2029.

As Rot-Weiss Essen reports, this means the U19 player will begin training with the pros once a week effective immediately, thereby being introduced to the first team.

A dream is coming true for me today. Being part of the RWE professional squad is simply amazing and a great honor for me. (…) Signing my first professional contract with RWE makes me very proud

James Gnagnon

He was already part of head coach Uwe Koschinat’s squad at times during last summer’s preseason. He will also—following the same approach currently used with Nico Schulte-Kellinghaus—continue to be a member of the RWE U19 team coached by Michael Delura. Gnagnon’s brother, Joshua Quarshie, showed him how it’s done: In 2020, he joined the RWE youth academy and made a name for himself—he stayed until 2022 before moving to TSG Hoffenheim II. He currently plays for English second-division club FC Southampton, and according to “transfermarkt.de,” Quarshie’s market value is four million euros.