The Bundesliga winter transfer window ends on January 31 at 6:00 p.m. One or the other star could find a new employer on the home stretch. Check out the hottest Bundesliga rumors:
Matthias Ginter (28): Borussia Mönchengladbach – contract until summer 2022
German national player, in the prime of footballer age, regular player in the Bundesliga for years – and free transfer in the summer. It is not surprising that the rumor mill about Matthias Ginter is almost boiling over.
Since the 28-year-old has already confirmed that he is looking for a new challenge, there is still room for a farewell in winter. Especially since there is no shortage of potential buyers, and quick access could ultimately prove to be the trump card in poker for the central defender.
Inter Milan, FC Barcelona and FC Bayern in particular are said to have kept an eye on Ginter, “Bild” football boss Christian Falk recently even reported in the “Bayern Insider” podcast that talks between the defensive player and FC Bayern had already started in December took place. A deal in winter would probably only be an option for the German record champions if Niklas Süle also leaves Munich. However, the fact that Süle will only say goodbye in the summer seems set in stone.
The situation is made more difficult by the quake that has hit Gladbach’s sporting leadership. The farewell to sports boss Max Eberl is a done deal, negotiations are likely to stall, at least in the short term.
Denis Zakaria (25): Borussia Mönchengladbach – contract until summer 2022
What applies to Ginter also applies to Gladbach’s Denis Zakaria. However, the list of clubs that are rumored to have the Swiss on their radar is even longer.
FC Bayern is said to have made contact, but according to “Sport Bild” a winter transfer is not an issue. The 25-year-old is also being persistently traded at BVB, but a move to Juventus seems to be the more realistic option at the moment. According to “Sky Italia”, Zakaria is in intensive negotiations with the Italian record champions.
Juventus have reportedly made a €7m offer for an immediate move. According to “Sport1”, the offer was rejected. But the talks should continue.
Axel Witsel (33): Borussia Dortmund – contract until summer 2022
An alternative for the midfield of Juventus Turin should be Axel Witsel. The Belgian’s contract also ends in the summer of 2022, and there is not much to suggest that there will be further cooperation.
Opposite the Belgian news portal “rtbf.be” Witsel’s teammate and compatriot Thomas Meunier recently revealed that he doesn’t believe the veteran will stay. “His adventure in Dortmund seems to be coming to an end, even if you can’t rule out a surprise,” said Meunier.
In addition to Turin, Witsel’s ex-club Standard Liège is also said to be working on the return of the prodigal son. This reports “Sport1”. The nouveau riche Premier League relegation candidates Newcastle United and FC Barcelona are also said to be interested. If the speculation comes true, at least Newcastle and Turin can be expected to make an offer in the winter.
Corentin Tolisso (27): FC Bayern – contract until summer 2022
For years, injuries have prevented Corentin Tolisso from meeting Bayern Munich’s record transfer expectations of 2017. However, 2021/22 has proven that the Frenchman delivers when it counts. Suddenly, staying beyond the summer of 2022 seems to be possible again. However, Tolisso would have to extend his contract with Bayern.
There is widespread disagreement as to whether this scenario will come about. Extension, farewell in winter, farewell in summer: All options regularly shoot up. It is clear that if Bayern does not lose the next player after Süle on a free transfer and Tolisso does not want to stay, action will have to be taken in the coming days.
A last-minute deal is also not out of the question, since Tolisso is likely to stay in Munich even if the backups of Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich are extended and the record champions would still be well manned at headquarters even if they left. And who knows? If Tolisso leaves, the money would be there to sign Zakaria after all.
Marc Affeldt