The football nomad Østigård has had quite a journey so far in his career. Since leaving the Eliteserien in 2018, the centre-back has worn the shirt for Brighton (no games), St. Pauli, Coventry, Stoke, Genoa, Napoli, Rennes and Hoffenheim. Now the 25-year-old needs a season with full access to playing time, the door opens this month.
It was a tough experience for Leo Østigård not to be the first choice when Norway drove over Italy at Ullevaal, but that’s football. It is not only in the national team that the centre-back has had to stand behind in the playing time queue, at Rennes the Norwegian has been sent to the exit door after a loan to Hoffenheim. Now the centre-back is being called back – to German football.
According to L’Equipe, Hoffenheim are in the process of signing Leo Østigård permanently from Stade Rennais. The Scudetto winner in a Napoli shirt only played for six months at Rennes after a €7 million transfer. On loan at Hoffenheim in the relegation battle, there were 11 games at Østigård. Not much, but enough for the Bundesliga club to be satisfied with the performance level of the Norwegian international.
According to the French newspaper, Hoffenheim are waiting for Stanley Nsoki’s exit to Union Berlin on an initial loan deal, then Østigård will be signed on a permanent transfer.
Sounds like a good choice for Østigård into further World Cup qualifying matches and hopefully the historic World Cup playoffs. Hoffenheim crept over the relegation ladder last season and will have a “clean slate” for the new Bundesliga season. This time with Østigård from the start.
