CITY SC transfers Marcel Hartel to Germany’s Hannover 96

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - St. Louis CITY SC midfielder Marcel Hartel is officially transferring to 2. Bundesliga side Hannover 96.

According to CITY SC, the terms of the deal are undisclosed.

Talks of the move were originally reported by transfer journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Plettenberg said Hannover and CITY SC had reached a full agreement for a transfer fee of less than $1M and a contract until 2029.

On Tuesday, August 11, St. Louis CITY made an official announcement.

“Marcel has been a central part of our team and has made so many important contributions to the club, especially in his first few months and again this season,” said Sporting Director Corey Wray. “While we would have preferred for Marcel to remain with us and explored different options to keep him in St. Louis, we ultimately chose to respect the circumstances surrounding his decision and his desire to prioritize his personal situation. We appreciate everything Marcel has given to the club and wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”

Hartel, 30, has six goals and three assists for St. Louis this season.

Overall, the German midfielder has scored 18 goals and provided 17 assists for CITY SC since arriving as a free agent in the summer of 2024.

He has started in 58 of his 59 appearances with St. Louis.

His only off-the-bench appearance came in CITY SC’s most recent 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake, where he scored the game-tying goal in the 72nd minute.

With Hartel now gone, CITY SC has additional roster flexibility as it frees up one of its designated player spots.

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