The newcomers five and six at Eintracht Frankfurt have been confirmed.

The Hessians have not yet officially announced the transfers of Hrvoje Smolcic and Aurelio Buta.

The 21-year-old Croatian Smolcic, who has already passed the medical check in Frankfurt and is expected to cost a transfer fee of one to two million euros, will look for the next challenge with the German Europa League winner after his station at HNK Rijeka.

Its field of application is the central defense.

George Daniels

Editor in the sports department

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His future new teammate Buta will soon move from Royal Antwerp to the Main.

The 25-year-old will cost no transfer and is expected to be signed until July 1, 2026.

Buta, who started his professional career at Benfica Lisbon, is planned for Eintracht on the right-back position.

But he doesn't shy away from going on the offensive.

Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner will have more options for variation with the new players in defence.

It is then also conceivable to practice a chain of four.

Stefan Ilsanker will no longer be available for a defensive role.

Eintracht decided so and did not give the 33-year-old Austrian, who is said to have been one of the big earners and played a total of 61 competitive games for Hesse, a new contract.

The Frankfurt announced on Tuesday.

Although Ilsanker only made twelve Bundesliga appearances last season – often short-term appearances – he was a role model in the team as a team player.

Ilsanker supported them wholeheartedly, which became clear again in the days surrounding the Europa League final in Seville.

According to Markus Krösche, players like Timothy Chandler or Goncalo Paciencia, who are not regular players, also have their part in the great Frankfurt team spirit.

For the sports director, the Portuguese Paciencia is “an outstanding guy, an important component of success”. Krösche also includes Chandler in this category, who, with his cheerful manner, knows how to bring a good atmosphere into the team.

Eintracht also removed Sam Lammers from the payroll, which the Hessians also announced on Tuesday.

The loan from Atalanta Bergamo – where the striker will initially return – never lived up to expectations.

The 25-year-old Dutchman simply lacked the Bundesliga format.

One of his two goals was the 1-1 final score in the Europa League group game against Fenerbahce Istanbul, it was the first Frankfurt goal on the way to winning the title.

As valuable as the season with the triumph in the second highest European competition was for Eintracht, the loan deal with the hapless Lammers did not pay off for the Hessians.

Because the overall package for the attacker's temporary services is said to have cost Eintracht a lower million amount.

On the access side, the Frankfurt team, who prematurely extended the contract with substitute goalkeeper Diant Ramaj until July 1, 2027, want to strengthen themselves with three more professionals, one of whom is said to be Bochum offensive player Sebastian Polter.

"In the new season we want a team that plays at a high level in all three competitions," says Krösche.