Rot-Weiss Essen has a striker problem. That is obvious. So it is obvious that those responsible are looking for attackers for the new season.
Rot-Weiss Essen and its strikers: these two things only go together to a limited extent in the current 2022/2023 third division season.
Neither the passionate but unfortunate Ron Berlinski (five goals) nor Simon Engelmann (four goals), who has been injured a lot this season and is currently ill, turned out to be third-league goal scorers. Not to mention the absentee Luca Wollschläger (four appearances, no goals).
RWE has the fifth-worst offensive performance in the 3rd Division and desperately needs two, maybe even three new strikers for the new season – see also RevierSport commentary.
The good news for the fans: The sporting management around sporting director Jörn Nowak has of course long since recognised this weakness and has cast its net for potential new strikers for RWE. Just a few days ago, this editorial department reported on the red-white interest in Jona Niemiec (Fortuna Düsseldorf).
Rot-Weiss Essen: Great competition for Jona Niemiec
The current situation: According to RS information, the second-division club from the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia has already made a second, improved contract offer to the young striker. It is said to be a four-year contract until the summer of 2027.
But Niemiec has not yet made his commitment. PEC Zwolle, top of the 2nd division in the Netherlands, and FC Zurich are also interested in the 21-year-old. And RWE, too. As a reminder: Nowak already wanted to bring Niemiec to Essen in the summer of 2021. He turned it down. At the moment, with all this competition, it is likely to be even more difficult to get him.
RWE coach Christoph Dabrowski knows Weydandt well
Of course, RWE still has a few other options when it comes to reinforcements for the attack. According to RevierSport information, Hendrik Weydandt (Hannover 96) and Antonio Jonjic (Erzgebirge Aue) are also on the red and white list alongside the Fortuna jewel.
Weydandt has been under contract with Hannover 96 since summer 2018 and has played a subordinate role this season – 17 appearances over 690 minutes of play, two goals, one assist. The 27-year-old 1.95 tall centre-forward is well known to RWE coach Christoph Dabrowski. Weydandt once played five games for the Lower Saxony U23s under him and recorded 17 appearances under Dabrowski in the 2021/2022 second division season.
Weydandt has played in the Bundesliga (28 games, 6 goals) and in the 2nd division (104 games, 18 goals) for Hannover 96 and is available on a free transfer in the summer. However, according to RevierSport information, some second-division clubs are also said to be very interested in the street footballer Weydandt, who never went through a youth training centre. Similar to Niemiec: It would be very difficult for RWE to realise this transfer.
It might be somewhat “easier” to get this striker signed. Antonio Jonjic from FC Erzgebirge Aue is also said to have aroused the red-white interest. The 23-year-old has made eleven appearances for Aue in the current series, scoring five goals. Considering that the German-Croatian was absent for a long time due to the Corona virus, a thigh injury and most recently a red card, his rate is quite remarkable. The contract of the former Kaiserslautern attacker, who has played for Aue since October 2020, also expires in the summer.
Jonjic has a total of 36 appearances (six goals) in the 2nd Bundesliga and 28 matches (five goals) in the 3rd Liga.