Stefan Ortega
Nottingham Forest

Stefan Ortega

Stefan Ortega of Nottingham Forest was born in Calden, Germany on 6 November 1992 (age 33).

Stefan Ortega, born on 6 November 1992 (age 33), is a German goalkeeper now with Nottingham Forest. His market value is around £4.5m, according to Transfermarkt.

The main weight of his career sits with Arminia Bielefeld, where he made 202 league appearances across eight seasons. That is the spell that gives the career its shape: long service, regular football, and the sort of grounding that matters more for a goalkeeper than a tidy highlights reel.

Ortega was already getting meaningful senior minutes at Bielefeld in 2011-12, making 20 league appearances that season. From there, his association with the club became the constant thread, rather than a passing stop on the way somewhere else.

At Nottingham Forest in 2025-26, he has made 10 appearances in all competitions, including three in the Premier League and seven in the Europa League. He was linked with a move to Celtic in December 2025 while at Forest, though that was simply transfer talk at the time.

Ortega’s career is that of an experienced German goalkeeper whose longest and clearest body of work came at Arminia Bielefeld, with Nottingham Forest now the latest stage of a steady, practical career.

📈 Key stats and insights

Stefan Ortega made three Premier League starts for Nottingham Forest
Stefan Ortega played seven Europa League matches
Stefan Ortega was unused in both domestic cups
Stefan Ortega joined Nottingham Forest from Manchester City for a 500,000 fee
Stefan Ortega's market value is €5.00m
Last updated 31 May 2026. Send feedback

Stefan Ortega stats

Check out all of the statistics about Stefan Ortega.

Goalkeeper
Primary Position
Stefan Ortega
GK
1.86m (6ft 1in)
Height
27
Squad Number
89kg (14st)
Weight
6 November 1992 (age 33)
Date of Birth
Calden
Birthplace
Germany 🇩🇪
Country of Birth
Nottingham Forest
Team
£4.5m (via Transfermarkt)
Market Value

📊 Season stats

Team
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest
Premier League 2025 - 2026
Games
3
Starting
3
Substitute
-
Unused
35
Utilisation
8%
Goals
-
Yellows
-
Reds
-
Team
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest
Europa League 2025 - 2026
Games
7
Starting
7
Substitute
-
Unused
9
Utilisation
44%
Goals
-
Yellows
-
Reds
-

Stefan Ortega made three Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest, all as starts, and added seven Europa League appearances. He was not used in the FA Cup or League Cup, which points to a narrow role built around European selection and limited league cover rather than a full No. 1 workload.

📋 Career stats

Team
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest
Season 2025 - 2026
Country
England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Games
3
Goals
-
Team
Manchester City
Manchester City
Season 2024 - 2025
Country
England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Games
13
Goals
-
Team
Manchester City
Manchester City
Season 2023 - 2024
Country
England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Games
9
Goals
-
Team
Manchester City
Manchester City
Season 2022 - 2023
Country
England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Games
3
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2021 - 2022
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
33
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2020 - 2021
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
34
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2019 - 2020
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
34
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2018 - 2019
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
31
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2017 - 2018
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
34
Goals
-
Team
1860 Munich
1860 Munich
Season 2016 - 2017
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
21
Goals
-
Team
1860 Munich
1860 Munich
Season 2015 - 2016
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
15
Goals
-
Team
1860 Munich
1860 Munich
Season 2014 - 2015
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
20
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2013 - 2014
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
15
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2012 - 2013
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
1
Goals
-
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Season 2011 - 2012
Country
Germany 🇩🇪
Games
20
Goals
-

Ortega's career path was a gradual climb rather than a straight rise. The transfer record shows a start at Arminia Bielefeld, a move to 1860 Munich, a return to Arminia, then a step up to Manchester City before joining Nottingham Forest at 33. That profile suggests a goalkeeper who moved from development and second-tier environments into higher-level squad roles later in his career.

💰 Transfers

Team
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest
1 February 2026
From
Manchester City
Manchester City
Type
Fee (£500k)
Team
Manchester City
Manchester City
1 July 2022
From
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Type
Free Transfer
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
1 July 2017
From
1860 Munich
1860 Munich
Type
Free Transfer
Team
1860 Munich
1860 Munich
1 July 2014
From
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
Type
Free Transfer
Team
Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
1 July 2007
Type
Trainee

The transfer history is notably low-cost. Ortega moved on free transfers from Arminia Bielefeld to 1860 Munich, back to Arminia, and then to Manchester City, before Nottingham Forest paid a 500,000 fee in February 2026. The pattern shows value-driven recruitment, with the City move the clear jump in level and the Forest deal a later-career switch for more immediate squad use.

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