St. Louis City signs German midfielder Marcel Hartel as Designated Player

St. Louis City SC has announced the arrival of German midfielder Marcel Hartel as a Designated Player.

Hartel joins the club on a free transfer from Bundesliga outfit FC St. Pauli, and has signed a contract which runs through June 2028.

City will pay $350,000 to Columbus Crew for the 28-year-old’s discovery rights, and he will be available to make his debut for his new club from July 18.

“We are happy to have locked this deal down to bring in a high caliber midfielder such as Marcel to St. Louis,” said Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel.

“His ability to create and finish will give us a dual threat to help lift our attack.”

The former German U21 international midfielder makes the move following the best season of his career to date, where his 17 goals and 13 assists helped St. Pauli achieve promotion to the Bundesliga’s top tier.

During his career, he has also played for FC Köln, Union Berlin and Arminia Bielefield, with his move to St. Louis being the first time he will play outside his homeland in his career.