Kevin Lankford moves to FC Carl Zeiss Jena – A new source of hope!

Kevin Lankford moves to FC Carl Zeiss Jena – A new source of hope!

FC Carl Zeiss Jena is setting the course for the future: 26-year-old Kevin Lankford is moving from BFC Dynamo to Jena and has signed a contract until the summer of 2027. This is announced by Thüringen24. Lankford brings with him a remarkable performance from last season, in which he scored ten goals and provided ten assists for BFC Dynamo. This means he could play a key role in the FCC's upcoming squad.

The native of Heidenheim has had a varied career. After starting out at VfB and SSV Ulm, he moved to 1. FC Heidenheim in 2015, where he made his debut in the 2nd Bundesliga in 2017. In recent years he has also played for well-known clubs such as FC St. Pauli, SV Wehen Wiesbaden as well as Viktoria Köln and Offenbacher Kickers. Most recently, he crowned his time at BFC Dynamo by winning the Berlin Cup in May 2024 and scoring a goal in the final himself.

Player changes and performance

With Lankford, the FCC is signing an experienced player who has already made 51 appearances in the 2nd Bundesliga. His versatility and experience could be valuable to the club, especially after recent league defeats. Jena suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat against BFC Dynamo on August 25, 2023, and has already suffered three league game defeats in a row. Despite an early lead by Joshua Endres, Jena could not maintain the result and had to accept two goals from Rufat Dadashov, who has already scored six goals this season. The stadium was well filled with 2,699 spectators, but the crowd did not help to avert the impending crisis, as Jenaer Nachrichten reports.

Coach Volkan Uluc was positive about Lankford's signing and sees great opportunities for cooperation. Lankford himself is also optimistic and is looking forward to his new challenge in Jena. “I can’t wait to work with the team and our fans,” he said.

Transfer market and prospects

An analysis of the current transfer market shows that FC Carl Zeiss Jena is not the only club that is actively investing in squad planning. The competition's transfer balance shows that a total of 338 additions were recorded, resulting in a market value of around 25.43 million euros. In comparison, transfer spending across the league was around 69.19 million euros. This makes it clear that the squads are being worked on at every turn in order to prepare the teams as best as possible for the coming season, as Transfermarkt shows.

For Jena, Lankford's move could not only represent a bright spot in the less than pleasant season so far, but also bring the momentum that the team urgently needs to get out of the crisis. With a breath of fresh air from Heidenheim in their ranks, it remains to be seen whether the FCC can initiate a turnaround.