Need for action on the transfer market: Bundesliga clubs with construction sites

Several Bundesliga clubs still need to make some changes in the transfer market. Improvements are particularly urgent in Bremen, but Leverkusen and Dortmund are also starting to make progress.

There could hardly have been a better symbol of the unfinished state of a team than this captain. With a bandage around his injured knee and wearing the jersey of his departed goalkeeper colleague Michael Zetterer, Marco Friedl answered questions about Werder Bremen's depleted squad after the 1-4 Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt .

Regular goalkeeper Zetterer was sold to Frankfurt, striker Marvin Ducksch (Birmingham City) was shipped off to England, and key players Mitchell Weiser (torn cruciate ligament) and Jens Stage (foot problems), as well as new signing Maximilian Wöber (thigh), were injured. The 27-year-old Austrian preferred not to say whether defensive leader Friedl would have even extended his contract in the spring given this bleak backdrop. He also declined to comment on whether further reinforcements were needed.

Every one of the 59,500 eyewitnesses at Frankfurt's Waldstadion had seen it: With this lineup, Bremen are not Bundesliga-worthy. Not only Werder fans are alarmed, but also former coaches like Florian Kohfeldt, currently working successfully at SV Darmstadt 98, are worried about the Green-Whites, who have narrowly missed out on European trophies twice in the last two matches.

Friedl expressed the lack of competitiveness, which was already evident in the 0-1 cup defeat to Arminia Bielefeld, as follows: "We have such a small squad, we simply have to stick together and push ourselves to our limits. And not for a few minutes or a half, but for the entire duration. Otherwise, it won't be enough. Against any team in the league!"

It's all well and good that new coach Horst Steffen is pleased about the debuts of U19 players like Patrice Covic and Karim Coulibaly, but avoiding relegation will always take precedence over youth development. Werder needs reinforcements in all areas of the team: they are looking for one, or better yet, two full-backs, with Isaac Schmidt (Leeds United) and Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt) already known as candidates. It remains to be seen who will strengthen the defensive midfield and attack.

Sporting director Clemens Fritz defended himself against the accusation of inactivity over the weekend. "It's not as if I've been sitting idle for the past three weeks and just watching what's happening on the market. " A new player must help the club's sporting performance and fit into the salary budget. The former professional refuses to be driven: "We're not going to resort to action-oriented tactics just because there's criticism from outside. It's important to stay calm and make the right decisions."

But Werder's activities in the transfer market appear both hesitant and lacking in creativity. Presumably, only loan deals are possible; promising transfers were missed in the summer, despite sufficient lead time. For Bremen, the home game against Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.) is all about avoiding a completely false start. Otherwise, the calls for reinforcements by the end of the transfer window on September 1st would be even louder.

The Werkself also slipped up on the opening matchday, almost as expected. A massive shake-up has left them with hardly any key players from the 2023/24 double-header campaign. While the sale of striker Victor Boniface to AC Milan fell through, defender Piero Hincapie could still leave. His tears after the 2-1 home defeat to TSG Hoffenheim are seen as an indication of a farewell performance under the Bayer Cross.

The 23-year-old is still under contract until 2029 and is considered a central pillar of the defensive unit. However, it's quite possible that Premier League clubs will still approach the Ecuadorian. With the transfer fee – Hincapie's market value is €50 million – sporting director Simon Rolfes could accelerate the reorganization, but it would by no means make the task of building a new team capable of competing for Champions League spots any easier for coach Erik ten Haag.

Which is also Borussia Dortmund's goal. Boss Hans-Joachim Watzke has given a clear mandate not to finish 25 points behind FC Bayern again. The Black and Yellows have already dropped two points at FC St. Pauli (3-3) . "It's not enough," stated sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who, like Fritz, has already been criticized for his hesitancy in the transfer market. But now, double reinforcements are likely on the horizon from London.

Midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka and central defender Aaron Anselmino are expected to join from Chelsea. Chukwuemeka, an Austrian-born English national, is expected to be signed permanently for €25 million, while Anselmino, an Argentinian, will join on loan.

Chukwuemeka was already on loan at the Westphalians last season, but made nine appearances off the bench in his ten Bundesliga appearances. The 21-year-old promptly scored in his only start against SC Freiburg (4-1 victory). Furthermore, Portuguese striker Fábio Silva from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers is apparently in the sights of Dortmund, who have so far relied on the brilliant striker Serhou Guirassy in attack.

In total, the Bundesliga has so far spent around €674 million and earned just under €840 million. A gain of around €165 million, which among the top five leagues is currently only surpassed by Ligue 1 in France.

The balance can change within a week. Especially when even bigger deals are made in the Premier League during the hectic summer sales period, this often triggers domino effects that spill over into Germany.

• Bundesliga
• transfer window