FC St. Pauli faces a potential exodus before the new 2. Bundesliga season kicks off on 9 August with a home game against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Joel Chima Fujita and Manolis Saliakas could soon leave the Millerntor club, according to recent reports. The Hamburg-based side is in pre-season training, but rumors about two key players are already casting a shadow over preparations.

Who might leave – and why?

Joel Chima Fujita, signed in 2021, is one of the hottest prospects in the league. The 24-year-old midfielder is reportedly targeting a move back to the Bundesliga to boost his chances of landing a Premier League deal. Fujita, who played 28 of 34 possible matches last season, has become a vital cog in the team – but his contract runs until 2027, complicating any transfer.

Manolis Saliakas is also in the spotlight. The Greek international, at the club since 2022, could return to Olympiacos. The Greek giants are hunting for a backup right-back after Pablo Maffeo’s injury and are eyeing Saliakas, according to Gazzetta. The 29-year-old spent 2013–2019 at Olympiacos but never broke into the first team. Last season, he managed just 17 appearances and 12 starts, leaving his future at FC St. Pauli uncertain.

Manager Rapp stays tight-lipped

Marcel Rapp, appointed in summer 2025, offered little clarity in an interview with Morgenpost. „He’s still here, training with the group, I expect him to join pre-season in Flachau“, Rapp said of Saliakas – but stopped short of confirming his place in the squad. Arkadiusz Pyrka, Poland’s national team player, appears to be the first-choice right-back, leaving Saliakas’s future hanging by a thread.

Transfer poker over Fujita and co.

FC St. Pauli has already signed Sam Klein, Marcus Mathisen and Branimir Hrgota for the new season. But the possible exits of Fujita, Saliakas, and World Cup participants Connor Metcalfe, Jackson Irvine and Eric Smith could scramble the squad. Irvine and Smith remain transfer targets, yet no concrete bids have emerged. The transfer window closes on 31 August – time is running out to plug the gaps.

Currently third in the 2. Bundesliga with zero goals scored and conceded, the Millerntor side has a strong platform. Yet the uncertainty over key players risks disrupting pre-season harmony. Their next fixture is a tough away trip to VfL Wolfsburg on 20 February 2027 – by then, the club must resolve the futures of its potential departures.