FC St. Pauli turned down a Deadline Day approach from a relegated Premier League club for striker Ricky-Jade Jones. Sporting director Andreas Bornemann confirmed to MOPO that the second division side had no intention of selling the attacker.
The transfer window closed on Tuesday at 8 PM without the Millerntor club selling any professional players. Bornemann stated: "Im Moment sieht es danach aus, als wäre das die Mannschaft und der Kader. Damit sind wir sehr happy." The club enters a crucial phase of the season with this squad, currently sitting in 16th place with just two points from three matches.
Why did Ricky-Jade Jones stay at FC St. Pauli?
The 23-year-old Ricky-Jade Jones joined FC St. Pauli on a free transfer from Peterborough United a year ago. Despite not starting a match this season, the club's management values his potential. Rejecting the last-minute offer highlights their faith in the young striker. The club boasts a 29-player squad with a total market value of 48.43 million euros. This places St. Pauli second in the 2. Bundesliga market value rankings, behind only VfL Wolfsburg (116.90 million euros), marking them as a promotion candidate.
The decision to keep Jones comes at a time when the team urgently needs more firepower. They have scored only four goals while conceding five so far. Trailing league leaders 1. FC Nürnberg by seven points, every point is vital. A full overview of the current performance data is available on our stats page.
What does the current squad look like?
Alongside Jones, other forwards like new signing Youssoupha Niang, on loan from 1. FC Köln, are part of the team. Taichi Hara, Martijn Kaars, and Abdoulie Ceesay are also available. The future of Joel Chima Fujita was clarified following comments by Eric Smith after the 1:2 loss to Kaiserslautern. The squad now appears settled and balanced.
Sporting director Bornemann emphasized satisfaction with the team structure. This stability is meant to help improve the current poor record of zero wins, two draws, and one loss. The detailed squad overview can be found on our squad page.
What does this mean for the upcoming fixtures?
The choice not to reduce the squad provides the coach and team with planning security for the tasks ahead. The next match is already on Thursday, September 4th, 2026, against fellow mid-table side Arminia Bielefeld. Bielefeld currently sits in 10th place. For St. Pauli, this is a chance to break the negative trend of their recent LDD form and secure much-needed points.
Focus is now entirely on the sporting task. With a closed squad and trust in players like Ricky-Jade Jones, FC St. Pauli aims to turn their season around. The complete schedule for the coming weeks is available in our fixtures calendar. The away game in Bielefeld is the next test for the team from Hamburg.
