Mainz 05 Seeks Crystal Palace’s Borna Sosa on Loan

Interest in Sosa from Mainz

Bundesliga’s last-placed team, FSV Mainz 05, is reportedly looking to secure the services of Borna Sosa from Crystal Palace. According to Germany’s Südwestrundfunk Radio (SWR), Mainz is exploring the possibility of acquiring the former Stuttgart player on loan from the Premier League club after he recently transferred to Palace.

Sosa’s Current Situation

The 27-year-old winger signed a three-year contract with Crystal Palace in July, moving for a fee of €2.3 million from Ajax. Despite the transfer, he has only participated in three Premier League matches this season. Nevertheless, reports suggest that Palace is not open to selling Sosa outright. Should he join Mainz, he is likely to receive significant playing time in the left wingback position due to injuries affecting regular players Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene.

Sosa’s Career Background

Sosa had his most fruitful years at Stuttgart, particularly during the 2020/21 season when the German Football Association sought to acquire a German passport for him, hoping he could represent Germany at UEFA Euro 2020. This initiative was led by former national team coach Joachim Löw. Originally from Croatia, Sosa relocated from Dinamo Zagreb to Stuttgart in 2015, benefiting from his German mother, who was raised in Berlin.

Missed Opportunities for National Representation

Unfortunately, the DFB was unable to finalize Sosa’s citizenship in time to meet FIFA’s deadlines for international competition. Although he received his German passport in spring 2021, he chose to play for Croatia. After two successful years in the Bundesliga, he transferred to Ajax for €8 million in September 2023.

Declining Performance

At his highest valuation in June 2022, Sosa was worth €23 million but began to decline before joining Ajax, where he reunited with former Stuttgart director Sven Mislintat. His time in Amsterdam was disappointing, and after a lackluster season in the Eredivisie for 2023/24, he was loaned to Torino for the 2024/25 season.

Despite frequent appearances at both Ajax and Torino, Sosa was unable to score during his time in either team. Torino chose not to utilize their option to purchase him, leading to an ideal opportunity for a loan transfer from his current club, particularly under the management of Oliver Glasner, the German-speaking Austrian head coach.