By David Williams
Robert Glatzel has insisted his move from Cardiff City to German club Mainz on loan will see him playing for a team that play to his strengths.
The striker, who cost the Bluebirds £5.5m when he joined from Heidenheim 18 months ago, has returned to his homeland for the rest of the season.
He leaves Cardiff having scored 11 goals in 58 appearances but believes Mainz can be a club that make the most of his talents.
“With Mainz 05, I now have the chance to play in the Bundesliga and compete with the best – I’m really looking forward to that,” said Glatzel.
“I like the style of play that Mainz 05 embodies, with its intense runs and aggressive pressing, and it suits my strengths.
“I will try to contribute with everything I have to offer to stay in the league and fight for the team and our common goal every minute in training as well as on the pitch.”
Glatzel’s scoring rate has actually diminished in his second season with Cardiff, with only three goals in 23 matches, although only eight of those games have seen him make the starting line-up.
Robert Glatzel wechselt auf Leihbasis von @CardiffCityFC zu uns nach Mainz! 🔴⚪️
Viel Erfolg als 05ER, Robert!🍀
Alles Infos: https://t.co/xI0Bmqfvsz#Mainz05 #Transfer #DeadlineDay #Glatzel pic.twitter.com/N9a0L3dOGn
— 1. FSV Mainz 05 (@1FSVMainz05) February 1, 2021
The 27-year-old was signed by former manager Neil Warnock but has only shown fleeting glimpses of the talent that once earned him a hat-trick playing for Heidenheim against Bayern Munich.
Former Bluebirds manager Neil Harris recruited Kieffer Moore and since the Wales’ striker’s arrival, Glatzel has been mainly used as a back-up option or cover for when Moore has been injured.
Before joining Cardiff, Munich-born Glatzel spent two years with Heidenheim in the second Bundesliga where he scored 24 goals and managed ten assists in 61 games.
Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt said: “Robert is a classic centre-forward who compliments our squad perfectly with his strong pull towards goal and as a target player and will thus become immensely valuable for our team.
“With a lot of experience from the second division in the UK and Germany, he is now eager to prove himself in the Bundesliga.
“We have come to know Robert as a totally positive, open guy who will also contribute wonderfully to the team off the pitch.”
