Mainz prospect Tauer switches loan locales
All parties involved confirmed an early termination of FSV Mainz 05 defensive midfielder Niklas Tauer's 18-month-loan deal with FC Schalke 04 on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old German youth international will spend the rest of the season on a new loan arrangement with Eintracht Braunschweig.
After the defensive midfielder failed to gain a foothold either in the first or second division with FC Schalke 04 over the past year, Niklas Tauer's parent club of FSV Mainz 05 has cancelled the 22-year-old's loan arrangement six months ahead of schedule. Mainz have now loaned Tauer out to relegation-threatened 2. Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig, where it is expected the youngster will get more playing time.
The 22-year-old German youth international will spend the rest of the season on a new loan arrangement with Eintracht Braunschweig.
Tauer - thanks in part to some injury issues - only made three appearances for Schalke last spring. Matters didn't improve in the second division. Tauer earned only two deployments with Schalke this year, both at an unnatural defensive position. Braunschweig sporting director Benjamin Kessel made clear that his club had specific plans for Tauer, who does have 19 top-flight appearances to his credit.
"Niklas hasn't had an easy time at Schalke recently," Kessel noted in a statement accompanying the news, "but we are absolutely convinced of his qualities. He can be deployed in a variety of roles, but we think he's strongest in the centre of midfield. He has also already gained match practice at the highest national level with FSV Mainz 05. We are sure that Niklas will help us further."