Already in winter?
Rumors about Philippe’s departure: That’s what BTSV boss Kessel says
January 8, 2025 – 1:29 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
What will become of Rayan Philippe? The rumors about the striker’s winter departure from Eintracht Braunschweig persist. Now club boss Benjamin Kessel reacts.
Eintracht Braunschweig scored 16 goals in the first half of the current season in the 2nd Bundesliga. Nine – and therefore more than half – go to Rayan Philippe’s account. The 24-year-old Frenchman has become one of the most important building blocks in coach Daniel Scherning’s squad at BTSV.
It is therefore no surprise that the center forward, who increased his market value from 400,000 to three million euros within a year, is attracting interest from other clubs. There should also be interested parties from the Bundesliga. According to the “kicker”, the Frenchman is particularly popular with FSV Mainz 05. There are reports of increased interest from Rhenish Hesse.
For Eintracht, the situation surrounding the striker is becoming more and more like poker. Because: Philippe’s contract, which expires in the summer, should be extended in the summer for a certain number of missions. According to the “Braunschweiger Zeitung”, this only applies in the event of relegation in the 2nd Bundesliga.
If BTSV – currently in a relegation zone – has to move into the third division, Eintracht will lose their best man without receiving a transfer fee for him. An early farewell to Philippe this winter only seems to be an option for those in charge at the club in absolutely exceptional cases.
Sports director Benjamin Kessel said to the “Braunschweiger Zeitung”: “He is very important to us. You can’t completely rule out anything in football, but if nothing really crazy happens, we won’t let him go in the winter.” Together with the striker we want to achieve the goal of staying in the league.
The fact that Bundesliga clubs are trying to get the 24-year-old is nothing new for Eintracht. “We know about the increased interest in Rayan. First division clubs started inquiring about him last summer,” says Kessel.
SC Freiburg was also said to be interested in the attacker in the past. According to Kessel, Philippe fully deserves the attention due to his exceptional achievements.
Like the club, Philippe had recently ruled out a winter farewell to Braunschweig. Either way, Eintracht has to prepare for a future without the fast striker. Because Kessel also knows that Philippe will play in the first division in the long term. “But I think that will be the case from summer onwards,” said the managing director.