Stoke City Confirm Departure of £1.7-Million Player.
Stoke City striker Ryan Mmaee has completed a season-long loan move to Austrian club SK Rapid Wien.
The 26-year-old has struggled to find consistent form since joining Stoke from Ferencvaros in the summer of 2023, a transfer that cost the English club an initial fee of around €2 million (£1.7 million). Injuries have hampered Mmaee’s time at Stoke, and with increased competition for places in the squad, his opportunities for regular game time looked limited for the upcoming season
Stoke recently bolstered their attacking options with the signings of Tom Cannon, Sam Gallagher, and Lewis Koumas, alongside the development of promising youngster Emre Tezgel, further reducing Mmaee’s chances of securing a starting role. Despite being fit to start Stoke’s last two matches, Mmaee sought clarification on his role from manager Steven Schumacher and decided to pursue a move after Hull City’s late bid for a loan deal fell through last Friday.
Mmaee, who is under contract with Stoke until 2026, has made 27 appearances in the Championship, scoring three goals. The loan deal with Rapid Wien is reported to include an option for the Austrian club to purchase the player permanently.
Stoke City’s sporting director, Jon Walters, commented on the move, saying, “Ryan is keen to secure as much game time as possible and, after speaking to Steven (Schumacher) about the likely opportunities this season, we believe it makes sense for all parties for him to take the opportunity to go out on loan in pursuit of the regular first-team football he desires.”
Rapid Wien has been actively searching for attack reinforcements, having lost two forwards to injury. Their sporting director, Markus Katzer, expressed his satisfaction with the signing of Mmaee.
“As we all know, the injury devil has struck mercilessly in our attacking ranks recently. We are convinced that all of our attackers will soon be available again, but in order to achieve our goals as safely as possible, we needed to take action. By loaning Ryan Mmaee, we are gaining an experienced and accurate striker who has also gained a lot of experience in European.
“In addition to being a very good finisher, he is also an excellent ball guard. Like our coach Robert Klauss, I am delighted that we can now welcome Ryan to our team.”
The move presents Mmaee with the opportunity to revive his career and secure regular playing time, while Rapid Wien look to strengthen their attacking lineup as they aim for success in both domestic and European competitions.
