Marcel Franke has joined German side SV Darmstadt on loan for the 2018-19 season with an option to buy, Norwich City have announced.
The 25-year-old German was one of Daniel Farke’s first signings last summer, playing eight games in a fraught opening period for both player and the club.
He was part of the defence that shipped 4 goals in that watershed defeat at the hands of Millwall, before the first international break of last season.
After that, Timm Klose returned to the Norwich first team and Franke was not seen in yellow and green again.
In January 2018, he moved to his hometown club, Dynamo Dresden on loan, making 16 appearances with the club finishing 14th in Bundesliga 2.
He now joins Darmstadt, who play in the same division and the “option to buy” clause suggests that it hasn’t worked out for the lad in England.
He seemed to struggle with the physicality of the English game last summer and it looked like a real culture shock for him.
Having said that, Russell Martin also started the season for Norwich but also didn’t play again after that fraught opening six weeks of last season and ended up getting his own loan, to Glasgow Rangers, in January.
This seems a sensible solution, with Franke having two years left on the deal at Norwich that saw him leave Bundesliga 2 club, Greuther Furth last summer. It saves on his wages and the option to buy is there as well.
Good luck, Marcel.
OTBC