Disappointing transfer conclusion
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In the summer, RB Leipzig’s record player Yussuf Poulsen followed second division top scorer Davie Selke (30) at Hamburger SV. After around four months, the 31-year-old Dane’s interim balance reads poorly: Due to injury, the new forward hope only played 185 minutes, spread over seven games. The veteran was on the pitch for the longest time last weekend in the 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund, when he was substituted after an hour. “I was just exhausted. It wouldn’t have been enough for a minute longer,” said Poulsen. Shortly after his first nomination for the Danish national team after a break of almost a year, he injured himself again – to the disappointment of everyone involved and possibly with consequences for the HSV managers’ squad planning.
As the “Hamburger Abendblatt” reports, there was great excitement among the people of Hamburg after the news from Poulsen’s homeland. The attacker’s history is too sensitive. “We always knew and said that ‘Yussi’ would not play 34 games over 90 minutes due to his history, that there might always be minor setbacks, but that we would consciously take him out and control him from time to time,” explained coach Merlin Polzin at the beginning of August. Because Poulsen’s body has “already experienced a lot”. That’s why the professional doesn’t do all the exercises during training, but is constantly controlled.
Without having an exact diagnosis, Poulsen is likely to miss at least the promoted team’s next away game at FC Augsburg on Saturday, November 22nd (3:30 p.m.). Reliable planning does not seem possible when the attacker is still goalless. Although the club bosses emphasize Poulsen’s importance as a leader off the pitch, it is said that their patience with the professional who has been appointed captain is also finite. The Poulsen transfer was imagined differently in Hamburg. There is therefore a need for action in winter. Especially since there is only one striker’s goal anyway because Ransford Königsdörffer (24) and Robert Glatzel (31), who slipped into the third place, were only able to score once together.
For comparison: In the 2024/25 promotion season, Selke, Königsdörffer and Glatzel, who moved to Basaksehir, scored 46 times. The offensive trio was always reliable. In the Bundesliga, the North Germans find it much more difficult to score goals – which is also due to the higher quality of their opponents. Nine own goals after ten match days are only bettered by bottom team 1. FC Heidenheim. The fact that Poulsen is still on track at HSV can at least be questioned. That’s why sports director Stefan Kuntz and sports director Claus Costa reportedly want to explore the market in winter and look for reinforcements for the storm. The club has the financial resources for this. In addition, Glatzel, who was demoted to replacement, is exploring his options after switching consultants to “CAA Stellar”.
HSV wanted to let new signing Poulsen “realize first”
About Poulsen, who was already prone to injury during his time at Leipzig, manager Costa said in a Transfermarkt interview in mid-October: “I’m also cautious about making an interim assessment with this transfer. You should let ‘Yussi’ get to grips with things first. His playing time is particularly disappointing for him. And we certainly wished that he reached 100 percent fitness sooner. Nevertheless, it would be a huge mistake to reduce ‘Yussi’ to his times on the pitch. (…) He has a significant impact the group and gets totally involved in the dressing room.”
Poulsen signed a three-year contract in Hamburg and, including bonuses, cost up to 1.5 million euros. Of this, 10 percent allegedly went to Poulsen’s youth club Lyngby BK, which sold him to the then third division club twelve years ago for 1.55 million euros.
HSV fan “Jottkah1887” hasn’t given up hope yet and wrote in the TM community: “None of us can judge whether the many small injuries of late are a bit of bad luck or rather a structural problem. In any case, I’m not that sad that ‘Yussi’ can’t play for Denmark at this point (!). His ‘crunch time’ to secure the place for the World Cup is yet to come, and that will require good performances for us in advance. It may be difficult to rely on that; the squad planners will certainly work on options… I will be the one who will cheer loudest when Poulsen scores his first goal for us.
At “HSVlove”, however, hope has gone out: “From now on, I almost don’t count Poulsen as one of them anymore. (…) The whole thing is starting to get a little off. But he’s there, he’s been in the team for almost half a year now, he’s part of it, our officials did good things in the summer in terms of transfers, but they’re not without mistakes either.”
No risk no fun. I’m surprised there’s so much excitement here about the transfer or the leadership. Risks have to be recognized, evaluated and sometimes taken if you want to land a lucky break. Ask Robben or Bale. You don’t always win, otherwise it wouldn’t be a risk. The season isn’t over either. Stay relaxed, we still have two interesting strikers behind them. …
