Bundesliga.2 giants FC Schalke 04 have no plans to offer Martin Fraisl a new contract with Rangers and Norwich City looking to lure the goalkeeper away from German football, as reported by WAZ.
Given that the Austrian shot-stopper was only handed a one-year deal when he arrived from ADO Den Hag last summer, it’s safe to assume few expected that he’d make the impact he has at the Veltins Arena.
Not only has Fraisl ousted fans’ favourite Ralf Fahrmann to become Schalke’s number one, he’s also accumulated a respectable tally of five clean sheets for a promotion-chasing side sitting just two points off the top of the table.
With that in mind, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Schalke would be looking to tie Fraisl down to a new, long-term deal. Well, not so.
According to WAZ, Schalke haven’t opened talks with the late-blooming 28-year-old. They don’t plan to either. That is despite reports suggesting that Fraisl is attracting interest from outside of Germany.
The Mail claims that Scottish Premiership champions Rangers are watching closely. As are a Norwich City side looking to bring in some added competition for now-33-year-old Tim Krul at Carrow Road.
“Martin Fraisl specifically, he is doing an excellent job,” says Schalke’s sporting director Rouven Schroder when pressed on the ‘keeper’s future in Gelsenkirchen.
“We are monitoring the situation closely. But our focus is currently on day-to-day business.”
Will Martin Fraisl be Rangers’ new goalkeeper?
Fraisl is one of a number of talented shot-stoppers in contention as Rangers prepare for life after 40-year-old Allan McGregor.
Zander Clark of St Johnstone and Dundee United’s Benjamin Siegrist are also reportedly on Rangers’ radar.
And, crucially, both would arrive with a proven track record in Scottish football. Fraisl, in contrast, would represent more of a risk.
Furthermore, Siegrist and Clark are also due to become free-agents in July, like McGregor. And like Fraisl, for that matter.
“Zander probably won’t be staying,” St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson told Football Scotland last month.
“There is always going to be interest in him. Zander has been the standout player for us this season.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
