By Peter Weis@PeterVicey

Union Berlin updates: Eisernen pick up Oczipka on a free, Marcus Ingvartsen appears headed to Mainz

FC Union Berlin have opted to pick up free-agent lelf-back Bastian Oczipka, automatically released from FC Schalke 04 following relegation last spring. 

German footballing magazine Kicker also reports that Union are preparing to sell Danish attacking midfielder Marcus Ingvartsen to FSV Mainz 05. 
Some three months after he was released from his contract with the relegated FC Schalke 04, 32-year-old left-back Bastian Oczipka will get another chance with another club in Germany's top footballing flight. Berlin's Köpenick club picked up the former Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and Schalke fullback on a free.

One could view the veteran as a replacement of sorts for the departed Christopher Lenz, though a preliminary assessment would place him third on head-coach Urs Fischer's depth-chart behind new arrival  Tymoteusz Puchacz and fellow veteran Niko Gießelmann. Oczipka could serve as a left-ward slanted center back in Fischer's back-three.

"Bastian is a very flexible and experienced player who will accord us variable options," Union personnel boss Oliver Ruhnert noted in a statement, "We are delighted that he has accepted this challenge."

"The development of 1. FC Union Berlin has been very impressive in recent years," Oczipka himself added, "After last season, which was a disappointment for me personally, I'm delighted to be here and can hardly wait to start in service of this club."



In other Union Berlin transfer news, Kicker again emphasizes that a deal to bring Kevin Möhwald to the club will be confirmed soon. It also appears as if attacking midfielder Marcus Ingvarsten is on the move to Bo Svensson's Mainz.

The 25-year-old Danish attacker retains an estimated market value of €3.5 million in the latest transfermarkt listings.

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