St. Louis CITY transfer Marcel Hartel to Hannover 96 | OneFootball

By Cal Meachem

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Transfer

St. Louis CITY SC have transferred midfielder Marcel Hartel to 2. Bundesliga side Hannover 96, the club announced Tuesday.

The 30-year-old German was in his third season with St. Louis. His departure opens a Designated Player roster slot.

"Marcel has been an important part of our team and has made valuable contributions to the club on the field, especially this season," said sporting director Corey Wray.

"While we would have preferred for Marcel to remain with the team 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 family. We appreciate everything Marcel has given to the club and wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

Since joining St. Louis midway through the 2024 season, Hartel contributed 24g/14a in 67 matches. He previously featured for German sides FC St. Pauli, FC Köln, Union Berlin and Arminia Bielefeld.

Hartel led St. Louis in goals (six) and goal contributions (10) this season. 

Following Hartel's departure, St. Louis' DPs are goalkeeper Roman Bürki and attacking midfielder Carlo Holse, who recently joined the club from Turkish Süper Lig side Samsunspor.

St. Louis are in the midst of their best season since their inaugural 2023 campaign, currently sitting seventh in the Western Conference with 26 points (7W-6L-5D).

READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker