Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch scored Werder Bremen in the past Bundesliga season with a total of 28 goals almost single-handedly to stay up. However, the two top strikers could leave the Hanseatic city in the summer. In this case, former Leverkusen player Joel Pohjanpalo should be an issue.
This is reported by “Sport Bild” on Wednesday. The Finnish international, who is currently under contract with Italian second division side Venezia FC, “could be a candidate,” writes the magazine.
Pohjanpalo has already played for Bayer Leverkusen and Union in the Bundesliga, scoring an impressive 13 times in a total of 42 appearances. It was only last year that he finally left the Werkself after several loans, with 2.5 million euros going to the Rhineland in return.
In Serie B, Pohjanpalo became a difference player, with 19 goals he was the second best scorer of the past season. The 28-year-old has even led Venezia onto the field as captain since February, and at the beginning of May he made headlines with a four-pack followed by a beer celebration with the fans.
Before his engagement in Italy, the 1.86 meter tall attacker played one season in the Turkish SüperLig for Caykur Rizespor. There, too, he impressed with 16 goals.
Werder Bremen would have to shell out three million euros
In Pohjanpalo’s working paper, which is still valid until 2025, an exit clause should be anchored that allows him to change for three million euros.
That’s a lot of money for the cash-strapped people of Bremen, but the sales of Füllkrug (approx. 20 million euros) and/or Ducksch (7 million euros) also mean substantial income.
In addition to Pohjanpalo, “Sport Bild” also brings Schalke’s goalkeeper Marius Bülter into play as a candidate for Werder. “Sky” had previously reported on the interest of the green-whites. But the 30-year-old is not a classic center striker.