Heidenheim and Mainz work out low-cost Lennard Maloney transfer

Lennard Maloney’s rumoured winter transfer to Mainz is apparently through. Florian Plettenberg reports that the 25-year-old will move to the Rheinhessen, surprisingly enough, in the low six-figure-range. The twice-capped USMNT international shall cost the Pfälzer less than €1m, though Plettenberg does note that performance-related bonuses are incorporated into the deal. 

Maloney maintains an estimated market value of €5m in the latest Transfermarkt listings yet retains little hope of playing time with his current club after handing in a December transfer request. FCH trainer Frank Schmidt dropped the former Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund player from his match-day selections following Maloney’s stated wish to move elsewhere. 

What role Maloney could potentially play in FSV trainer Bo Henriksen’s tactical set-up remains to be seen. Nadiem Amiri and Kaishu Sano have the double-six starting slots locked down. Maloney can also serve as a sweeper or work in central defence. One surmises that – since Henriksen has never once utilised a construct featuring a sweeper – Maloney may get an audition as a centre-back. 

Henriksen’s current unconventional back-three of Danny da Costa, Stefan Bell, and Dominik Kohr looked very shaky in the most recent league loss to Union Berlin. Kohr and da Costa have spent most of their careers playing at different positions. Maloney may thus be in line for an audition. 

GGFN | Peter Weis