This is bound to be an interesting year to return the the Bundesliga. Hopefully, we'll benefit from lower contract prices as clubs look to cut costs, because I'm sure we'll take the same income hit as everyone else until we can get fans through the turnstiles again. I'll start us off with our keeper. Kobel's loan has ended, and although we'd like to keep him, rumor has it he's headed to Berlin to play for Hertha. I'm not surprised. Contract negotiations did not reach a conclusion, and he has suitors. He was decent for us, but we can probably replace him for less. We can't pay top dollar in this environment, and we're less than 1.BL standard in several areas. Long way to go, lads.
Here's a right-central defender, Konstantinos Mavropanos: https://rundumdenbrustring.de/neu-im-brustring-konstantinos-mavropanos He comes on loan from Arsenal, after being on loan to 1. FC Nürnberg last season.
Gregor Kobel (GK) signs with us after all. €4m from Hoffenheim. Waldemar Anton (CB) signs from Hannover, also for €4m. Both of these look like good business. Bundesliga status can help us fill our needs, but I hope we manage to find a proven player for this level as a striker or winger. Too often we played as a 2.BL side. I could use more confidence that we can stay up.
Especially if Gonzalez leaves, we'll need another two scorers. There is no guarantee that he will repeat his B2 performance in the B1, so we need another scorer even if he stays.
While this isn't necessarily about transfers or rumors, there are an AWFUL lot of injuries during the preseason: https://www.kicker.de/783032/artikel/stuttgart_knieprellung_stoppt_endo#twfeed Talk about needing to be wrapped in bubble-wrap!
And now Gonzalez is out for 6 weeks. This certainly is a recipe for returning to the 2.BL. Spieltag 1 in 10 days.
Yeah, we've got an awful lot of untested youth getting ready to play in the B1. I hope they can pull it off.
Per Kicker, Pablo Maffeo will remain in Spain at SD Huesca: https://translate.google.com/transl...maffeo-erneut-verliehen-784140/artikel#twfeed
Wow, the Stuttgart squad is so young. A bunch of 17, 18, 19, and 20 year olds. How is the financial situation (excepting Covid which affects everyone)? I used to follow 1.Bundesliga when I lived overseas, but had to stop watching when I returned stateside. I was kind of aware that VfB had been relegated -surprising, really- but am glad to see they are back up again.
If you accept his word for it, Mislintat said that VfB had €3Million to spend on transfers in, after they gained promotion. That's a trifling amount for transfers in, if it was accurate. Stuttgart fans have been wondering where a lot of transfer out money has gone over the years, because they haven't spent nearly as much as they've taken in.
Yeah, that is not much money for a club with the pedigree of VfB. Considering the players that they have sold on in the past: Giovane Elber and Mario Gomez are just two of the names that I recall.