Happy about the switch

Rangnick on Danso deal: “Next good step”

Ralf Rangnick (left) and Kevin Danso(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

Kevin Danso moves to AS Roma. "This is the next good step for him," said a delighted ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick.

Danso's transfer to Italy had been in the pipeline for days, and yesterday Roma and Lens reached an agreement: According to the deal, the ÖFB team player will initially move to the "Giallorossi" on loan for one year, after which a transfer fee of 22 million euros will be due - which, with various bonus payments, should end up being 25 million. This makes Danso one of the most expensive domestic transfers in history (see statistics on the right) - surpassed only by Christoph Baumgartner, who moved from Hoffenheim to Leipzig last year for €25.5 million.

Kevin Danso(Bild: GEPA pictures)

According to media reports, the 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract and will receive 1.5 million euros per year. A transfer that also pleases ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick: "This is a good next step for him. Serie A is about to catch up again."

Ralf Rangnick(Bild: Associated Press)

Danso is clearly also part of the 24-man squad that Rangnick announced yesterday for the first Nations League games in Slovenia (September 6) and Norway (September 9). Among the seven absentees (Alaba, X. Schlager, Kalajdzic, Gregoritsch, Kainz, Trauner, Entrup) are three strikers, so Arnel Jakupovic (Maribor) will get his first chance: "A left-footer who scored five times for Maribor in the first five league games knows where the goal is."

In addition to Gladbach's Kevin Stöger ("We had always been watching him"), Junior Adamu, about whom Rangnick says: "After a difficult year in Freiburg, he now has a completely different self-confidence."

Alaba not on the agenda until March?
He doesn't expect David Alaba back until the World Cup qualifiers in March, and he knows nothing about Marko Arnautovic's thoughts of retiring: "He never hinted at anything to me." Goal in the Nations League? "To play as successfully as possible, I wouldn't mind being promoted back to the A-League."

After the EURO exit, Rangnick has "never taken so long to process the negative outcome of a game, the two goals conceded against Turkey annoyed me immensely." He explained the exchange in the coaching team with three new therapists as follows: "It is important that the next development steps are taken in all relevant areas and that the players receive the best possible support."