Theo Corbeanu joins German club Arminia Bielefeld on loan from Wolves
Canadian international forward Theo Corbeanu has joined German outfit Arminia Bielefeld on loan from Wolves, the club confirmed Friday.
"I'm excited about the challenge of proving myself here at Arminia Bielefeld," Corbeanu said in a club-issued statement. "Our discussions immediately gave me the feeling that I was taking the right step. That's why it's cool that it's starting now."
Corbeanu, 20, has spent the last three seasons out on loan, first to Sheffield Wednesday in 2021, then to both MK Dons and Blackpool in 2022, before being recently called back in after an ankle injury.
"Theo Corbeanu has convinced us all after we have dealt with him more intensively. We absolutely trust him to contribute his individual quality and set accents in our team," head coach Daniel Scherning said in a club statement.
"We wanted to give the squad another offensive option. The education in England and his performance potential have made Theo an interesting player for a number of clubs in different countries, especially during this transfer window. We were able to show him and Wolverhampton Wanderes, as the parent club, an interesting perspective at Arminia Bielefeld and thus in a German professional league," said sporting director Samir Arabi.
Herzlich Willkommen in Bielefeld, @CorbeanuTheodor! 📝🥳
— DSC Arminia Bielefeld (@arminia) January 20, 2023
Wir haben den 20-jährigen Kanadier von den @Wolves ausgeliehen, er wird bereits am heutigen Nachmittag mit der Mannschaft trainieren.
Corbeanu wird bei uns die Rückennummer 2⃣0⃣ tragen.#immerdabei pic.twitter.com/GqCZvgqLTC
Now, a switch to Germany means Corbeanu continues to search for consistent playing time, this time in an environment that could be well-suited to his attacking traits; the tall-but-unusually-fleet-footed winger is highly-touted due to his build and his technique on the ball, a fact that Canadian soccer fans got to see first-hand as Corbeanu emerged as another attacking option for John Herdman during Canada's World Cup Qualifying run.
With seven international appearances and two goals to his name as a teenager, Corbeanu represents one of Canada's brightest young stars, and a loan to Arminia Bielefeld offers him not just the opportunity to potentially start in a different league that could develop a new set of skills, but also gives the young footballer a chance to mature even more in a new environment where he will be tested on and off the field.
Minutes won't be easy to come by, however, as Corbeanu will have to compete for a starting role with the likes of Arminia Bielefeld's current top scorer, Robin Hack, at right-wing. All of this, of course, comes with the hope of a potential return with a more prominant role at Wolves, whom Corbeanu signed for back in 2021, but for whom he's only played one single time.
