The winter transfer phase is underway and the German clubs are in the middle of it. Clubs can sign new players until February 1, 2024.
The most important things at a glance
Who will FC Bayern bring in to strengthen their defense? Will striker Serhou Guirassy stay at VfB Stuttgart? And who does Union Berlin want to shoot its way to the top with? These and many other questions will be answered this transfer winter. At t-online you can find an overview of the most important rumors and changes from Germany and the world.
Union star goes to Spain: replacement striker right there
Without the current top scorer, but with a new source of hope, Union Berlin is heading into the Bundesliga relegation battle. Sheraldo Becker is moving to Real Sociedad in the Spanish first division. The transfer fee should be between three and five million euros. “I will forever be grateful to Union, this is where I became who I am today,” the 28-year-old attacker was quoted as saying goodbye.
Union quickly found a replacement for Becker in Switzerland. Chris Bedia comes from Servette Geneva. The club did not provide any information about contract terms or transfer terms.
According to media reports, the Ivorian, whose contract would have expired in the summer, is said to have moved to Berlin for a sum of around two million euros. The 27-year-old striker from the Swiss first division club has scored 16 goals in all competitions for his old employer this season.
Mainz professional moves to the 2nd league
Second division club Hertha BSC is reacting to the personnel shortage in the attacking midfield with a loan. Aymen Barkok from Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 will play for the Berliners until the summer, as the capital club announced on Thursday evening.
The 25-year-old Moroccan-German only played 310 minutes in 13 appearances in the first half of the season. According to media reports, there will be an obligation for the Berliners to buy if Barkok reaches a certain number of appearances.
Fix: Rafael Borré will change at the end of the season at the latest
Attacker Rafael Borré is leaving Eintracht Frankfurt “at the latest” at the end of the season. As the Hessians announced, the Colombian, who is currently on loan at Werder Bremen, is moving to Internacional Porto Alegre in Brazil in the summer, following his former teammate Lucas Alario.
Borré has been playing on loan on the Weser since the summer of 2023, and there had recently been speculation about an early end to the loan deal. Then he could also move directly to Brazil.
Henderson left again after six months
After less than six months, former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson is leaving Saudi Arabia again. According to information from “The Athletic”, the English international has agreed to terminate his contract with Al-Ettifaq and will move to Dutch record champions Ajax Amsterdam. There has been no confirmation from the clubs yet.
Henderson moved from Liverpool to the Saudi league in the summer, for which he received a lot of criticism. Numerous fans, especially from the LGBTQ+ community, criticized Henderson for the change. The midfielder had repeatedly spoken out against homophobia before his move.
Ex-world footballer about to flee Saudi Arabia?
Last summer, former world footballer Karim Benzema (won the Ballon d’Or 2022) moved from Real Madrid to Saudi Arabia and signed a multi-million dollar contract with Al-Ittihad. The chapter in the desert state could now quickly come to an end for the Frenchman.
After failing to show up for training, the club excluded him from the short training camp in Dubai. At the end of last year he had already missed training sessions and traveled to Madrid without the club’s permission. According to the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”, Benzema’s behavior is said to have caused a lot of anger internally.