“Anything can happen” at Gladbach
©IMAGO
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sporting director Roland Virkus has expressed reservations about the rumors about the signing of Benfica Lisbon winger Jan-Niklas Beste. “Yes, I spoke to Lisbon on the phone. But that was a while ago – that was when Julian Weigl was signed. There is currently no contact with the club,” said the manager when asked by “Picture“. The pay TV channel “Sky” had reported that, among other things, the foals should deal with the 26-year-old. At Gladbach there could be a reunion of the former Heidenheim successful duo Tim Kleindienst (29) and Beste.
| rumor | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | J. Best |
 | ||||||||
Left winger | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Beste has only been playing for Benfica since the summer and alternates between the starting eleven and the bench. He was only allowed to play eight times from the start, and his market value fell from 15 million to 14 million euros in the most recent Portugal update. Benfica paid €8 million, making it the most expensive departure in Heidenheim’s club history. The Portuguese are said to be ready to give up Beste, who according to Virkus is an “interesting player”.
According to “Bild”, for a best signing, offensive players Nathan Ngoumou (24) and/or Tomas Cvancara (24) must first be given up in order to generate income. “Anything can happen. These days, I sometimes come to my office in the morning and have a certain plan – and then everything turns out completely differently,” Virkus is quoted as saying. The goal is not to give up a top player. “And we don’t have to bring anyone in in the winter if no one leaves us. But: If something can be realized now that we might have planned for the summer, then that is of course an issue.”
Vargas is unaffordable for Gladbach – will Ngoumou go?
Offensive all-rounder Rubén Vargas (26), who moved from FC Augsburg to FC Sevilla for 2.5 million euros plus bonuses, was also traded to Borussia. “Those were sizes where that was no longer possible for us here,” revealed Virkus. Vargas would have been free in the summer. According to “Sky”, there have been specific inquiries for Ngoumou and the Bundesliga club is imagining a transfer fee of 7 million to 8 million euros. According to “Kicker”, several Ligue 1 clubs are showing interest in the Frenchman, who is under contract until 2027 and is currently in advanced training.
Is there even more happening on the exit side? Because midfielder Enzo Le Fée (24) from AS Roma is on his way to Sunderland, the Giallorossi are looking for a suitable replacement. The Roma had their eyes on Gladbach’s own product Rocco Reitz, the “Gazzetta dello Sport“. The 22-year-old corresponds to the combative profile we are looking for and has therefore been the topic of discussion for weeks. In Rome, Reitz would meet his former teammate Manu Koné (23), with whom he is said to still get along well. Frenchman Koné moved to the Serie A club last summer. Reitz is said to have an exit option from 2026 in his contract, which runs until 2028, and Brighton is also considered interested.
| rumor | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | R. Reitz |
 | ||||||||
Central midfield | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Meanwhile, 21-year-old central defender Zeno Van den Bosch from Royal Antwerp has been linked to Gladbach. As the “Gazet of Antwerp“ reports, the youngster is also in focus at VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg. At Borussia he is still at the top of the list. Van den Bosch’s market value is estimated at 8 million euros, and the Belgian is contractually bound until 2026.