Flexible offensive player
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1. FSV Mainz 05 has completed the signing of Gabriel Vidovic (20) on deadline day. The versatile offensive player comes on loan from FC Bayern, who also extended his contract by one year until 2026. Mainz 05 is said to have secured a purchase option of 5 million euros. The Bundesliga club did not directly confirm such a possibility, but only wrote that Vidovic would be brought in “initially” for one season.
“Gabriel Vidovic brings a lot of talent with him, he is a fine footballer, extremely technically adept and intelligent. He is flexible and can be used in various offensive positions up front and in the offensive midfield and, despite his very young age, has already gained a lot of experience in the European professional leagues,” said Mainz sports director Christian Heidel. This week, the Zero Five had already announced the signings of Moritz Jenz (25) from VfL Wolfsburg and Hyun-seok Hong (25) from KAA Gent.
The Croatian junior international Vidovic comes from the Bayern youth team and has already been loaned out twice in the past. He spent the 2022/23 season at Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands and the past season at Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. There he played in 40 games and contributed nine goals and three assists to the double season. For the FCB professionals, he made a total of four appearances (one assist).
Vidovic said: “I had very good discussions with the sports director and the coach and immediately got a good feeling. Mainz 05 offers ideal conditions for me to develop further in my sporting career. It was also a conscious decision to play in the Bundesliga. I actually already know the MEWA ARENA, I played here with Bayern Munich a few years ago and experienced the incredible atmosphere of the Mainz fans. After the defeat with Bayern back then, I am now looking forward to celebrating many home victories with Mainz 05.”
