The week after the January transfer window closes is pretty light on football news. The best you can hope for is some gossip from the final days of the window. We’re left with no choice but to immediately start taking about the summer, despite the fact the dust hasn’t settled on January. The football season is just a brief intermission between the only competition that matters: the transfer window.
Anyway, to celebrate the fact it’s almost the weekend, I bought a really nerdy boxing book, which I will
start quoting from next week if there is still no news worth sharing.
BVB News
- BILD recently reported that Nico Schlotterbeck’s declaration that BVB are in the title race have caused some irritation internally. However, if you read BILD’s words with a critical eye, you might notice that they do not substantiate this claim… Instead, it appears to be based on statements made by Lars Ricken, Sebastian Kehl, and Niko Kovač, all of whom downplayed the idea, but caution is not the same as irritation. I like Schlotterbeck’s ambition, but I think it’s smart for the management to pump the brakes a bit, at least publicly. It would be a little odd if anyone was “irritated”, though.
- BVB have set the asking price for Daniel Svensson at €30m, after the 23-year-old Swedish left-back has attracted interest from Leeds, Arsenal, and Inter Milan.
- Borussia Dortmund are reportedly interested in Union Berlin center-back Diogo Leite. The 27-year-old Portuguese defender would be available on a free transfer in the summer, potentially offering good value as a depth piece in a backline that will need bolstering ahead of next season.
Bundesliga News
- Harry Kane has sat out of training this week due to an illness, and his participation in Bayern Munich’s weekend fixture against Hoffenheim is now in doubt. I have yet to see concrete reporting that the club are concerned he will miss the game, though, so don’t get your hopes up.
- BILD reports that Brighton & Hove Albion submitted a late bid worth ~€30m for FC Köln’s Said El Mala, though it was swiftly rejected. When El Mala does eventually leave, I imagine the fee will be significantly more than €30m.
- Werder Bremen have appointed Daniel Thioune as their new head coach, following the dismissal of Horst Steffen over the weekend.
- VfB Stuttgart are struggling to reach an agreement with Deniz Undav in their negotiations over a new contract and fears that the German forward leaves as soon as this summer are starting to grow.
Your Thoughts?
Do you believe BILD’s claims that Schlotterbeck’s ambitions have annoyed the club brass? And if so, is that because it confirms your priors about BVB’s management? Let us know in the comments.
