Rafaela Borggrafe Joins Bayer Leverkusen on Loan Amid Challenges at Liverpool

Rafaela Borggrafe, the goalkeeper for Liverpool, has been loaned to Bayer Leverkusen for the remainder of the season.

The 25-year-old German joined Liverpool from SC Freiburg in July and has made four appearances for the team under manager Gareth Taylor.

Recently, Borggrafe was handed a six-game suspension for using discriminatory language towards a teammate. This sanction, which she has already completed, followed an investigation by the Football Association that commenced in September.

The incident, reportedly involving an allegedly racist remark, occurred during Liverpool’s pre-season training camp.

Currently, Liverpool finds itself at the bottom of the Women’s Super League, trailing 11th-placed West Ham by one point with eight matches left to play.

Borggrafe’s tenure at Liverpool has been challenging since her arrival last summer. Following her ban, she has struggled to secure her position as first-choice goalkeeper, particularly with the impressive performance of Jennifer Falk, who joined on loan in January.

Falk’s presence has pushed Borggrafe down the depth chart, while Liverpool also boasts young goalkeeper Faye Kirby and experienced player Rachael Laws.

The loan to Bayer Leverkusen provides Borggrafe an opportunity to regain regular playing time and rejuvenate her career, which has stagnated. Although her long-term future remains unclear, she has at least another year left on her contract with Liverpool.

This development necessitates that Liverpool addresses its goalkeeping needs in the summer, especially with Laws’ contract expiring and Falk’s loan set to conclude. Reports indicate that Liverpool is keen on securing Falk on a permanent basis, and her loan agreement includes options for exploration during the summer, contingent upon the player’s decision.