Martin Fraisl can probably afford to feel a little hard done by.
On March 1st, German publication Spox reported that Rangers were offering the Schalke goalkeeper a two-year deal at Ibrox, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst planning for life without the evergreen Allan McGregor. But Fraisl had other options too.
Norwich City, for one. Greek giants Olympiakos were another. There was also interest from teams in La Liga and Serie A.
So why does Fraisl find himself without a club, five months later, as the new campaign gets underway?
Martin Fraisl still a free-agent despite Rangers interest
Well, returning to Rangers, McGregor’s fantastic run of form during the final stretch of 2021/22 meant that particular can could be kicked a little further down the road. McGregor, despite turning 40 in January, remains as reliable and influential as ever between the sticks, rolling back the years as Rangers came within touching distance of European glory.
Norwich, meanwhile, opted to throw their weight behind two proven Championship shot-stoppers in Tim Krul and Angus Gunn.
And while Fraisl played a key role during Schalke’s promotion back to the Bundesliga – silencing his critics along the way – one of Europe’s greatest sleeping giants used their new-found top-flight status to bring in a replacement, one with well over 100 top-flight appearances on his CV. Alexander Schwolow arrived on loan from Hertha Berlin.
So it’s difficult not to feel a little bit sorry for Fraisl. 2021/22 was the finest season of his late-blooming career. One that should have paved the way for, if not a move to Rangers, Olympiakos or elsewhere, then certainly a stab at Bundesliga football for the very first time.
Instead, Fraisl begins the new campaign without a club to call his own.
Where next?
“Basically, I have very good ideas about the future,” the Austria international said earlier in the summer. “It is important to me that the overall package fits. I want to come to a club that sees me at the top. Many parameters have to fit.
“I want to play at a very, very high level. The economic aspect also plays a role and from there (my thoughts) will go back to foreign-language countries. That much is relatively certain. I’ll consciously take my time with that.
“It will be a very good transfer.”
At least, due to his free-agent status, Fraisl will not be constrained by the limits of the transfer window. But all that early optimism – those hopes of a ‘very good transfer’ – are starting to feel a little misguided.
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