Nikola Katić

Following his move to FC Schalke 04, Katić's current-season form is up 433% on last season (Season 9→48), while his Rating held around 44. That makes this his strongest season for form to date.

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	FC Schalke 04 · 1st	26	1	1	6.97	44	48
2024/25	PlymouthLoan · 23rd	15	1	0	7.09	44	9
2024/25	FC Zurich	18	2	2	7.05	—	—
2023/24	FC Zurich	34	4	0	6.94	—	—
2022/23	FC Zurich	22	1	0	6.85	—	—
2021/22	HNK Hajduk SplitLoan	21	0	1	7.03	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 5 earlier seasons and 1 youth-team spell in the full career.

Croatia · international

Side	Apps	G
Croatia	1	0
Croatia U21	3	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Project playerCentral defender

N. Katić is a 29-year-old central defender at FC Schalke 04, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 1 assists in 26 appearances, a Season grade of 48, top 8% of 2. Bundesliga centre-backs. On long-term scout potential he's rated 43.5, ranking 72nd of 116 in the 2. Bundesliga. An experienced operator, he has been a regular starter (74.1% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.69 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Katić.

Judged on this season alone, Katić graded 48 — an excellent campaign that ranks top 8% of the 26 centre-backs in the 2. Bundesliga, on 10 clean sheets and 3.69 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 9 → 48).

On long-term talent our Rating reads 44, 16th of 26 of the 26 centre-backs in the 2. Bundesliga. At 29 Katić is in his prime years, and a market index of 15.2 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

A career still climbing — Katić is at his peak right now, and the curve hasn't flattened.

Peak: 2025/26Trending upBreakout: 2025/26Streaky

Current potential16th of 26 centre-backs · 2. Bundesliga Current seasonTop 8% centre-backs · 2. Bundesliga 2nd-best centre-back in the 2. Bundesliga 72nd in the 2. Bundesliga · potential 16th-highest potential centre-back in the 2. Bundesliga

43.5

Ratingi

16th of 26 centre-backs

47.9

Seasoni

a solid contributor and squad regular

74.1%

Minutes

a regular starter

3.69

Def. actions / 90

solid defensive volume

Output in context · FC Schalke 04 finished 1st of 18 · a title-challenging side

Apps

3.69

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

3.69 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 10 clean sheets across 26 appearances. Behind a title-challenging side (1st of 18) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 1 assist — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 74.1% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Defensive volume. 3.69 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.

Watch points

Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 43.5, Katić carries the 16th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the 2. Bundesliga of 26. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.69 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.1× now → 0.8× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %74.1%

Available fixtures34 of 34

Goals / 900.04

Assists / 900.04

Goal contribution / 900.079

Defensive actions / 903.69

Player flow

Goal involvements2

Cards / 900.238

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~28), then tapers with age. At 29, Katić sits on 15.2, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Katić's projected Rating — 43.5 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the 2. Bundesliga with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Passing

Assists1

Defending

Tackles43

Interceptions29

Blocks21

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards6

Red cards0

Transfer history

€2.3M total transfer fees · 7 moves

FC Schalke 04Jul 2025 – now

FC Zurich(back from loan)Jul 2025 – Jul 2025

Plymouth(on loan)Jan 2025 – Jul 2025

FC ZurichAug 2022 – Jan 2025

Rangers(back from loan)Jul 2022 – Aug 2022

HNK Hajduk Split(on loan)Aug 2021 – Jul 2022

RangersJun 2018 – Aug 2021€ 2.3M

NK Slaven Belupountil Jun 2018

About N. Katić

Nikola Katić is a 29-year-old centre-back who plays for FC Schalke 04, born on October 10, 1996 in Ljubuški, standing 194 cm tall. He is from Croatia. FC Schalke 04 currently sit 16th of 18 in the 2. Bundesliga.

This season

In the current season, N. Katić has made 26 appearances with 1 goal and 1 assist across 2,268 minutes, with 6 yellow cards. His season has spanned the World Cup and the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers.

N. Katić's next match is on August 30, 2026, when FC Schalke 04 face FC Augsburg away in the Bundesliga.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates N. Katić at 43.5 with a Season form score of 47.9, ranking 72nd of 116 centre-backs in the 2. Bundesliga. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 4 career titles — among them the Cup and the Premiership. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 10 recorded seasons, N. Katić has totalled 238 club appearances with 13 goals and 5 assists for 7 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2017/18, with 34 appearances for NK Slaven Belupo.

N. Katić's career has also included time at FC Zurich, Plymouth, Rangers, HNK Hajduk Split and NK Slaven Belupo.

On the international stage, N. Katić has represented Croatia and Croatia U21 — 4 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · FC Schalke 04 finished 1st of 18 · a title-challenging side

Strengths

Watch points