FK Liepāja have announced Bart Straalman as their third new signing of the day, bringing in the 29-year-old Dutch centre-back, who finished last season as a Finnish league runner-up.
Straalman is a product of the De Graafschap academy and made his first-team debut at just 18 years old, playing a role in the club’s promotion to the Eredivisie. He went on to spend five seasons with De Graafschap’s senior side, including two seasons in the Dutch top flight, making 45 Eredivisie appearances and scoring three goals.
After his time in the Netherlands, Straalman moved to France, where he spent three seasons in Ligue 2 with Rodez and Grenoble. His time there was interrupted by a serious cruciate ligament injury, which forced him to miss the entire 2022/23 season.
Following his recovery, the defender had a short spell in the Czech Republic with Vyškov, where he was a teammate of Latvian international Raimonds Krollis. Since the summer of 2024, Straalman has been playing in Finland with Inter Turku. Last season he was a regular starter, making 29 league appearances and scoring two goals, as Inter finished second behind KuPS.
Straalman has signed a two-year contract with FK Liepāja. Earlier today, the club also confirmed the signings of Kenyan midfielder Irad Mushindi and Sint Maarten international winger Chovanie Amatkarijo.
