New arrivals scrutinized at Fortuna

Fortuna Düsseldorf have been busy shaping their squad for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with several new signings and a few injuries to report.

One of the notable arrivals is Thomas Pledl, a 25-year-old offensive player who joins the team from Ingolstadt. Pledl, who has played 138 games in the second league, is expected to be close to the starting lineup.

Another new addition is Kelvin Ofori, an 18-year-old trial player who impressed during the training camp in Maria Alm. Ofori scored the important 2:1 in his first competitive game and will need to adjust to the hardness of the league.

In attack, Nana Ampomah, a player brought in for goal-scoring opportunities, is currently out after injuring himself in the cup game in Villingen. Ampomah, who scored his first competitive goal for Fortuna in Villingen, will be missed.

Zack Steffen, a 24-year-old US national goalkeeper on loan from Manchester City, is another new face between the posts. Steffen has already demonstrated his talent in Bremen with quick reflexes, strong footwork, and a secure control of the box. However, he has shown some coordination issues with his teammates that led to a goal, but these issues are expected to be resolved quickly. Florian Kastenmeier, currently the number two goalkeeper for Fortuna, is filling in while Michael Rensing is injured. Kastenmeier showed potential during the training camp in Maria Alm and could be a future option.

In defence, Kasim Adams, a 1.90-meter tall Ghanaian national player, has been brought in as an enforcer. Adams is expected to bring relentless duels and hardness to the team. However, he is on loan without an option to buy and will collect Bundesliga minutes once he catches up on his training.

Lewis Baker, a 24-year-old player loaned from Chelsea London with an option to buy, has joined Fortuna to fill the gap left by Kevin Stöger's injury. Erik Thommy, versatile in attack and on loan from VfB Stuttgart with an option to buy, has also joined the team. Thommy has already scored set pieces for Fortuna and was instrumental in their 3:1 win against Bremen, providing the assist for both the 2:1 and the 3:1.

Bernard Tekpetey, a 22-year-old player loaned for two years with an option to buy, had an amazing season with Paderborn in the second league last year. However, he is currently in a bit of a rut and needs to get used to the requirements of coach Funkel.

With these new signings and injuries, coach Daniel Thioune will have a challenging task ahead as he prepares Fortuna Düsseldorf for the upcoming season.