Srdjan Grahovac returns to Hütteldorf
Transfer news from Hütteldorf: Srdjan Grahovac, after an absence of two years, has returned to Vienna for a reunion with SK Rapid. The three-cap Bosnian international departed the club in March 2017 after making 86 appearances (4 goals) to move to FC Astana. With the Kazakh club he won the domestic title in 2017 and went on to make 10 appearances in Europe, 4 of which were in the Europa League group stages. In February 2018 he left Kazakhstan to move to top Croatian outfit HNK Rijeka, for whom he made 30 competitive appearances.
The 26-year old's services then became available and Rapid moved to secure the combative midfielder's signature for a second time after originally signing him in Summer 2014 from his home town club Borac Banja Luka. The former captain of Bosnia-Herzegovina u21's has put pen to paper on a contract until Summer 2022 and has already completed a medical.
Sporting Director Fredy Bickel said on the transfer: "This transfer is extremely important for our long-term planning. Good defensive midfield players are hard to come by, and you have to move when a player with his quality - and one who already knows the club – becomes available you have to move. Srdjan will improve both us both in sporting terms in character", said the 53-year old Swiss, who added: "Grahovac is one for our medium-term planning, and it can't be ruled out that he might go to a club on loan for a period after the season restarts."
Head coach Didi Kühbauer was also quick to welcome the transfer: "Grahovac has already proven in a Rapid shirt that he is an excellent player with character and a superb mentality. Hence, I’m excited that he’ll strengthen our team moving forwards."
On his transfer, Grahovac had the following to say: "I've also felt at ease at Rapid and in Vienna, and it was with a heavy heart that I left the club two years ago. For that reason I'm delighted that we agreed a long-term contract. Despite the difficult situation in the league, I’m convinced that we’ll soon be playing an important role again in domestic football - the current European campaign has impressively proven how much potential is lurking in our team."
Srdjan Grahovac will join his team mates in first-team training and will wear the number 14!
(gw)