Marc-Nicolai Pfeifer, Rot-Weiss Essen's boss, announced on the club's channel that contact with Marcel Costly, Ingolstadt's 30-year-old German-American winger, has existed for two seasons. Following this, Ingolstadt's then-managing director, Dietmar Beiersdorfer, told MagentaSport he considered the approach unprofessional and disreputable, as Costly has a contract for at least two more years. Beiersdorfer also confirmed to MagentaSport that a request for the player from Rot-Weiss Essen came in the winter, which Ingolstadt rejected because they value him highly. He added that Rot-Weiss Essen had tried to contact various people at the club. After a match, Costly stated that he did not know where he would play next season and would think about it after the season ended. He confirmed he was open to talks with other clubs, expressing a desire to take further steps in his career and saying it was nice to hear of interest from other teams. It was later announced that Ingolstadt and Beiersdorfer had parted ways by mutual agreement. According to Transfermarkt, Costly's current market value is €350k.