|
|
Gotze, Podolski, Reus and more - the Bundesliga stars who could be leaving their clubs in January
The European transfer season is set to re-open, and Goal.com works its way through the stars in Germany who could be on the move before the end of the window
Dec 28, 2011 8:00:00 AM
By Clark Whitney
Arsenal, Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, Espanyol, FC Augsburg, FC Kaiserslautern , FC Köln, Freiburg, Galatasaray, Hamburger, Hannover 96, Hertha BSC, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, Leverkusen, Mainz , Mönchengladbach, Nürnberg, Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Shanghai Shenhua, Stuttgart, TSG Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg, Lukas Podolski, Mario Götze, Zdravko Kuzmanovic, L. Barrios, Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Ivica Olic, René Adler, Jefferson Agustin Farfán, Michael Ballack
Bongarts
ANALYSIS
With half of the club season passed by, teams around Europe can assess their results thus far, and make adjustments to their squads. Indeed, the transfer window is set to reopen and, in its anticipation, there have been widespread rumors over the future of many of the Bundesliga's biggest stars.
German clubs have historically been hesitant to make major squad changes in January, but money has proven to be the solution to overcome all barriers in football recently, with Edin Dzeko's 32 million euros move from Wolfsburg to Manchester City a particularly compelling bit of evidence.
The flurry of rumors can be daunting to follow: a player may be linked with multiple clubs in different countries within a span of hours. But we at Goal.com sift through these reports, following up our news with exclusives and the best analysis you can find on the web, aiming for as much clarity as possible.
Will Dortmund be able to keep hold of Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels? Will Lukas Podolski try his luck at a big club, or choose love over prestige in staying with Koln? Will Ivica Olic force his way out of Bayern Munich? And what will become of Rene Adler?
Below we look at some of the Bundesliga's biggest stars who have been in the news lately, assessing who could be on the move this January, and where they might find themselves.
With his contract set to expire in just a few months and his club having already spent between 7-8 million euros on his replacement, Bernd Leno, there is no question that, by summer, Adler will be on his way out of the door at Leverkusen.
The real question is whether Hamburg, Schalke, or another interested club want him now, for a fee, or for free at season's end. HSV were reportedly in discussions to bring Adler to the Imtech Arena in a few weeks' time but, given that he recently aggravated the knee injury that has kept him sidelined all season, he just might be forced to ride the bench for a few months more at Bayer.
If he were not playing regularly, and Leverkusen were out of the Champions League, a transfer might be likely. But Ballack is an important figure at the BayArena, and has the chance to face Barcelona on Europe's grandest stage just a few weeks after the transfer window closes.
There are plenty of clubs interested in his services and Ballack will surely leave Leverkusen at season's end. But, for now, he will remain and hope for a swansong before presumably bowing out of the big stage.
The past holds little value in Germany, and Lucas Barrios is fully aware of this. After two years of dedicated service at Dortmund, he has become a forgotten player. An injury during the summer saw him miss most of the early stages of the current campaign, and Robert Lewandowski's play as his deputy has been superb.
As with Adler, the main issue affecting whether Barrios stays or leaves is the amount of interest from potential buyers: the player is unhappy, and BVB are expected to let him go. Dortmund has promised a big-name signing in the summer, and it is believed that the majority of that funding will come from the Paraguay international's sale - whether in January or later. Espanyol is interested in taking him on loan with an option to buy, but Sevilla could pip the Barcelona-based side to the signing with a 12 million bid.
One of the most influential figures in Schalke's run to the Champions League semifinal last season, Farfan held off on agreeing to a contract extension, hoping for a move to a big club. However, interest has declined in recent months, and he may have lost his gambit.
Discussions of an extension are set for January and, while Schalke have always wanted to keep him, the Gelsenkirchen side have also lined up possible replacements, including recent loanee Chinedu Obasi. A report on Tuesday revealed that S04 are willing to let Farfan go for 7 million in January, but the player currently has no offers and his agent confirmed that he would prefer to stay until summer as he rehabilitates from a knee injury. Then he will leave, perhaps to Inter, where reports have emerged once more of the Serie A side's interest.
Arguably the most coveted youngster on the planet alongside Neymar, Gotze has attracted attention from many of the world's elite clubs. However, he will not move in January.
The player and his agent have repeatedly stated that Gotze will remain at Dortmund until at least 2013: there he can mature before making the next step in his career. BVB have been equally emphatic about not selling their prized asset, claiming that even 120 million euros would not be enough. From a seller's perspective, it is quite clear: with Gotze under contract until 2014, Dortmund can utilize his talents for another year or two, and in all likelihood get an even better price for his eventual transfer.
Like Gotze, Hummels has enjoyed a steady rise to international prominence, and is now regarded as one of Europe's top defensive prospects. At 23 years of age, he is more mature than his teammate, and does not necessarily need Dortmund as much as Gotze does.
However, Hummels is very much settled at BVB and has not yet voiced interest in leaving the club that made him what he is today. He is under contract until 2014, and Dortmund have no reason to sell, especially not in mid-season. It would take an immensely attractive offer to pry him away from the Westfalenstadion.
Having become unsettled at Stuttgart, Kuzmanovic is likely to leave before the summer ends. He has admitted interest in returning to Serie A, and Stuttgart have a record for selling even its best players, with Mario Gomez, Sami Khedira, Christian Trasch and Sebastian Rudy having left its ranks in recent years.
Even Stuttgart might be hesitant to let Kuzmanovic leave, however: the Serbian midfielder is not a surplus to requirements, and VfB would only allow his transfer if it was to have a replacement lined up. To date, there is none - expect his transfer, just not until the summer.
A forgotten player at Bayern, Olic is on his way out of the door by summer at the latest: this much he has confirmed and, with his contract expiring in June, the decision is his alone.
Bayern wants to keep him for the remainder of the season but Jupp Heynckes recently said that no players will leave and that he expects the Croatian to be back at his best - in Munich - in 2012. A lot happens behind the scenes and surely the Bundesliga record champions are considering its options post-Olic. But the 32-year-old will not leave until a replacement is found, and that is unlikely to be before June.
After several difficult years at club level, Podolski had an immense 2011 for Koln, with his fine form carrying from January through to December. His performances have attracted plenty of interest, both domestic and abroad, and he now faces a very complex transfer situation, with abnormal factors making it a unique case.
If Podolski leaves his beloved home town - and this is a stretch - it will only be for a top team. But if and when this happens, it will not be before the 2012-13 season begins: a lot is riding on how Koln perform in the second half of the season, and he has not given up on his team just yet.
Like Podolski, Reus' decision to move away or not is largely dependent on whether his team can secure a place in European competition. Accordingly, he is almost certain to prefer a stay in Gladbach until the summer before reassessing his situation.
Lucien Favre's side are in the midst of their best season in years and, with his buy-out clause not scheduled to come into effect until the summer, and the player's value sure to increase or to at least remain constant, there is no need to sell. As with many of the Bundesliga's transfer stories, this one will have to wait a few more months before it becomes interesting.
Follow Clark Whitney on
With half of the club season passed by, teams around Europe can assess their results thus far, and make adjustments to their squads. Indeed, the transfer window is set to reopen and, in its anticipation, there have been widespread rumors over the future of many of the Bundesliga's biggest stars.
German clubs have historically been hesitant to make major squad changes in January, but money has proven to be the solution to overcome all barriers in football recently, with Edin Dzeko's 32 million euros move from Wolfsburg to Manchester City a particularly compelling bit of evidence.
The flurry of rumors can be daunting to follow: a player may be linked with multiple clubs in different countries within a span of hours. But we at Goal.com sift through these reports, following up our news with exclusives and the best analysis you can find on the web, aiming for as much clarity as possible.
Will Dortmund be able to keep hold of Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels? Will Lukas Podolski try his luck at a big club, or choose love over prestige in staying with Koln? Will Ivica Olic force his way out of Bayern Munich? And what will become of Rene Adler?
Below we look at some of the Bundesliga's biggest stars who have been in the news lately, assessing who could be on the move this January, and where they might find themselves.
| RENE ADLER | Leverkusen, Goalkeeper, 26 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
With his contract set to expire in just a few months and his club having already spent between 7-8 million euros on his replacement, Bernd Leno, there is no question that, by summer, Adler will be on his way out of the door at Leverkusen.
The real question is whether Hamburg, Schalke, or another interested club want him now, for a fee, or for free at season's end. HSV were reportedly in discussions to bring Adler to the Imtech Arena in a few weeks' time but, given that he recently aggravated the knee injury that has kept him sidelined all season, he just might be forced to ride the bench for a few months more at Bayer.
| MICHAEL BALLACK | Leverkusen, Central midfielder, 35 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
If he were not playing regularly, and Leverkusen were out of the Champions League, a transfer might be likely. But Ballack is an important figure at the BayArena, and has the chance to face Barcelona on Europe's grandest stage just a few weeks after the transfer window closes.
There are plenty of clubs interested in his services and Ballack will surely leave Leverkusen at season's end. But, for now, he will remain and hope for a swansong before presumably bowing out of the big stage.
| LUCAS BARRIOS | Dortmund, Striker, 27 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
The past holds little value in Germany, and Lucas Barrios is fully aware of this. After two years of dedicated service at Dortmund, he has become a forgotten player. An injury during the summer saw him miss most of the early stages of the current campaign, and Robert Lewandowski's play as his deputy has been superb.
As with Adler, the main issue affecting whether Barrios stays or leaves is the amount of interest from potential buyers: the player is unhappy, and BVB are expected to let him go. Dortmund has promised a big-name signing in the summer, and it is believed that the majority of that funding will come from the Paraguay international's sale - whether in January or later. Espanyol is interested in taking him on loan with an option to buy, but Sevilla could pip the Barcelona-based side to the signing with a 12 million bid.
| JEFFERSON FARFAN | Schalke, Winger, 27 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
One of the most influential figures in Schalke's run to the Champions League semifinal last season, Farfan held off on agreeing to a contract extension, hoping for a move to a big club. However, interest has declined in recent months, and he may have lost his gambit.
Discussions of an extension are set for January and, while Schalke have always wanted to keep him, the Gelsenkirchen side have also lined up possible replacements, including recent loanee Chinedu Obasi. A report on Tuesday revealed that S04 are willing to let Farfan go for 7 million in January, but the player currently has no offers and his agent confirmed that he would prefer to stay until summer as he rehabilitates from a knee injury. Then he will leave, perhaps to Inter, where reports have emerged once more of the Serie A side's interest.
| MARIO GOTZE | Dortmund, Attacking midfielder, 19 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Arguably the most coveted youngster on the planet alongside Neymar, Gotze has attracted attention from many of the world's elite clubs. However, he will not move in January.
The player and his agent have repeatedly stated that Gotze will remain at Dortmund until at least 2013: there he can mature before making the next step in his career. BVB have been equally emphatic about not selling their prized asset, claiming that even 120 million euros would not be enough. From a seller's perspective, it is quite clear: with Gotze under contract until 2014, Dortmund can utilize his talents for another year or two, and in all likelihood get an even better price for his eventual transfer.
| MATS HUMMELS | Dortmund, Centre-back, 23 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Like Gotze, Hummels has enjoyed a steady rise to international prominence, and is now regarded as one of Europe's top defensive prospects. At 23 years of age, he is more mature than his teammate, and does not necessarily need Dortmund as much as Gotze does.
However, Hummels is very much settled at BVB and has not yet voiced interest in leaving the club that made him what he is today. He is under contract until 2014, and Dortmund have no reason to sell, especially not in mid-season. It would take an immensely attractive offer to pry him away from the Westfalenstadion.
| Zdravko Kuzmanovic | Stuttgart, Central midfielder, 24 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Having become unsettled at Stuttgart, Kuzmanovic is likely to leave before the summer ends. He has admitted interest in returning to Serie A, and Stuttgart have a record for selling even its best players, with Mario Gomez, Sami Khedira, Christian Trasch and Sebastian Rudy having left its ranks in recent years.
Even Stuttgart might be hesitant to let Kuzmanovic leave, however: the Serbian midfielder is not a surplus to requirements, and VfB would only allow his transfer if it was to have a replacement lined up. To date, there is none - expect his transfer, just not until the summer.
| IVICA OLIC | Bayern Munich, Striker, 32 |
 Read more on Olic |
|
||||||||||||||||
A forgotten player at Bayern, Olic is on his way out of the door by summer at the latest: this much he has confirmed and, with his contract expiring in June, the decision is his alone.
Bayern wants to keep him for the remainder of the season but Jupp Heynckes recently said that no players will leave and that he expects the Croatian to be back at his best - in Munich - in 2012. A lot happens behind the scenes and surely the Bundesliga record champions are considering its options post-Olic. But the 32-year-old will not leave until a replacement is found, and that is unlikely to be before June.
| LUKAS PODOLSKI | Koln, Striker, 26 |
 Read more on Podolski |
|
||||||||||||||||
After several difficult years at club level, Podolski had an immense 2011 for Koln, with his fine form carrying from January through to December. His performances have attracted plenty of interest, both domestic and abroad, and he now faces a very complex transfer situation, with abnormal factors making it a unique case.
If Podolski leaves his beloved home town - and this is a stretch - it will only be for a top team. But if and when this happens, it will not be before the 2012-13 season begins: a lot is riding on how Koln perform in the second half of the season, and he has not given up on his team just yet.
| MARCO REUS | Monchengladbach, Forward, 22 |
 Read more on Reus |
|
||||||||||||||||
Like Podolski, Reus' decision to move away or not is largely dependent on whether his team can secure a place in European competition. Accordingly, he is almost certain to prefer a stay in Gladbach until the summer before reassessing his situation.
Lucien Favre's side are in the midst of their best season in years and, with his buy-out clause not scheduled to come into effect until the summer, and the player's value sure to increase or to at least remain constant, there is no need to sell. As with many of the Bundesliga's transfer stories, this one will have to wait a few more months before it becomes interesting.
Follow Clark Whitney on
Inside Goal.Com
-
EURO 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and Van Persie named in Goal.com's dream team XI
Goal.com put together its dream team for this summer's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.