After six years and 163 competitive games, Stefan Lainer is leaving Borussia Mönchengladbach and returning to his home country. The 32-year-old is moving to RB Salzburg.
Stefan Lainer was unhappy with his role as a reserve player in Gladbach, and the Austrian would have liked to return home in the winter. RB Salzburg was already considered his preferred destination in January, but the transfer did not go through at that time. Now it has. Both clubs officially announced the transfer of the 32-year-old right-back on Sunday afternoon. Lainer has signed a two-year contract with Salzburg until 2027. His contract in Mönchengladbach would have run until 2026.
“He approached us with a desire for a change due to his reduced playing time, and we are delighted that we have been able to find a solution that is satisfactory for all parties,” Mönchengladbach’s sporting director Roland Virkus is quoted as saying in the club’s statement. His counterpart in Salzburg, Rouven Schröder, already describes Lainer as a “leading player who will not only lead the way on the pitch, but also in the dressing room.”
“My goal here is to do everything I can to ensure that FC Red Bull Salzburg plays at the highest level again, ideally in the Champions League,” Lainer is quoted as saying on his return to the recently struggling Mozart city club. “I want to be an important part of getting us back on track. Overall, I see a lot of potential here in Salzburg that needs to be tapped into. This step back home is a great opportunity for me to be part of something big.”
No pressure to act at Borussia
Lainer’s return to Salzburg brings him full circle: the full-back is a product of the RB academy and joined the Mozartstadt club in 2006. As the player wanted by then-coach Marco Rose, he moved to Gladbach in 2019 for a transfer fee of around ten million euros.
Now, Borussia will at best receive a small transfer fee. In return, Gladbach will benefit from a substantial salary saving. However, there is no pressure on the Foals to sign a replacement, as coach Gerardo Seoane already has alternatives for the right-back position in the versatile Kevin Diks (28, coming on a free transfer from FC Copenhagen) and Jens Castrop (21, coming from Nuremberg).
