Well we are safe and will be looking for Europe in 2004. Who do we buy? Who do we sell? On my list to sell: Oliver Neuville Thomas Brdaric Franca - might be the worst player ever - Buy: Well not really a buy, but Landon Donovan Timmy Simon from Club Brugge Arnold Bruggink from PSV There's a start.
BAyer 04 will buy David Jarolim from Nuernberg, thats nearly 100% sure. And they signed Ingo Hertzsch from HSV - thanks again, Bayer !
Jarolim looks like he's on the way. As for Hertzsch - he'll probably improve a lot when he goes to Bayer and be in the National team in a year.
You don`t want Oli Neuville anymore? I think we take him. And there were rumours that he would like to come back home. PS: All I have to say to this weekend: ************!!!!
Some reports say that Calli wants to have a smaller roster and save between 20 and 30 M to compensate the missing income of the international competition. Sounds a bit weird as this sum was told to be the 2.Bundesliga budget before. If this is true, then one or two top players will have to be sold. An interview after the game yesterday with Bastürk sounded very much like he would stay. He was pretty pissed by people claiming that he would play bad for being a free transfer and that he proved the opposite yesterday; he added that he want to play yesterday's level permanently for Bayer next season. The sum of 20 to 30 M could mean one single sale: Lucio. Would make sense to get Hertzsch in this case. Central defence with Nowotny and Juan, with changing possibilities to Zivkovic and Hertzsch. Most media assume that Jermaine Jones of Eintracht Frankfurt comes already for the next season. He signed with Bayer for 2004/05, but maybe they get him immediately by paying a transfer sum that would guarantee the licence for Frankfurt. Personally I think he's a talent, but he's better off with one further year in Frankfurt. The most urgent position IMO is a sniper. Kirsten couldn't be replaced in this season and Berbatov needs too many chances. The other strikers have no brilliant finishing abilities either.
Swedish media today claims that swedish international defender Teddy Lucic, currently on loan from swedish premier division AIK to Leeds United, goes to Bayer Leverkusen for approx $300k. Lucic's agent as well as the clubs involved refuses to comment, so consider this a rumour until further notice.
The nice thing with Leverkusen is that you hardly find a player who is not linked with them. I would wonder to see a further new defender in Leverkusen, at least if they don't sell some. Further rumours were Magne Horseth, 22, forward of Molde FK and Christian Giminez from FC Basle.
From kicker: If one of Lucio’s favourite clubs asks, then he can go. Real Madrid is the favourite, also Barca and Juventus have hopes. Minimum transfer sum is 15 M. He would be replaced by another Brazilian (they already scouted) or Cris will be loaned for a further season and gets a new chance. If good offers come, then Bernd Schneider and Yildiray Bastürk will be sold; latter one already because of Bayer’s transfer politics to sell one year before the contract ends. Problem: Bastürk would love to stay. Diego Placente, Thomas Brdaric and Pascal Ojigwe can go if they just bring any offer. Hamburg want Neuville for Mahdavikia, who probably leaves towards Newcastle, Chelsea or Liverpool; Leverkusen would like to keep Neuville, but it depends on the offer. Zivkovic can leave as free transfer. Franca will be traded back to Brazil unless Augenthaler wants go give him a chance; Bayer hopes on a trade with Sao Paolo to get Kaka, but he’s adored by many clubs. Vranjes, the only one with expiring contract, will get a new one year contract. Kleine and Dzaka will be loaned, Simak gets a new chance. New is Hertzsch for two years and Ponte is back from Wolfsburg. Within this week Bayer will talk to Jarolim. For me this are too many changes. Some are necessary, but some are not. I’m pretty sure that they have an agreement of that kind with Lucio, so they should let him go for all he has done for the club. Schneider should be kept, I don’t think that he’ll play another bad season like this one. Placente played horrible this year, but before letting him go they need a new left backer. Nobody will cry for Bradric and Ojigwe. Neuville can be sold if Hamburg offers enough; for this money they should use their option on Donovan. Zivkovic doesn’t necessarily have to go, but I think Hertzsch is already his replacement. Vranjes would be no loss, Kleine and Dzaka can be sold entirely as well. Simak a new chance is already necessary due to economic reasons, but I think he’ll be able to improve anyway. Jarolim can go somewhere else, he’ll be no help. If Bayer realises all these announces, then lots of the roster won’t be kept: Butt – x, x, Juan, x – Babic, Ramelow, x, Bierofka – Berbatov, x Two of the x’s will be filled with Nowotny and Sebescen when they return. The midfield x can be filled by either Simak or Ponte. I would like to see Donovan as the offence x. If Kaka comes, then he’ll be the midfield x I think, but I can’t imagine that he really comes to Bayer. A left backer is missing in all constellations.
That's a lot of turnover in one season. I think Landon has to be called back, and expected to perform. Left back: Could be someone in Argentina or Brazil is on the way. What about Bierofka? He seemed to perform well, as did Balitsch. Both young players who played well everytime I saw them. Franca is a waste of money, and should be gone. He might do better in a less physical league. Maybe Portugal? Getting Nowotny back will be very important, but they have to look for a replacement pretty soon for him, if not already. As for Lucio, I'd love for him to stay - but if we have to make so many replacements he'll be gone. Basturk: He is a talent, but if we can sell him and get good money, "Thanks Yilderay, good luck"
Attracted to beautiful football. I don't eat marmelade - just to clear that up. I do like Mustards though.
It should be an interesting off season for Bayer. What they need most is a reliable scorer. They really miss Kirsten. Nueville was great for the 01/02 season (15 goals), but was lousy this season. I'm not convinced that he is a reliable scorer - he's more of a creative type that plays wide or more in the midfield. Franca and Brdaric both suck badly. Berbatov is mediocre (with some ability). None of this lot strike any fear in opposing teams' defenses. I would love to see Landon Donovan make the leap. Although I'm an Earthquakes fan and I would hate to see him leave the 'quakes, I would love to see him week in, week out in the BL. And with Bayer's lack of great striking talent, Donovan would get lot's of playing time and opportunity to shine. If they lose Schneider, Basturk or Lucio, they will have some huge holes to fill. However, those guys will bring in large transfer sums and money to spend for new players. I fully expect Bayer to be fun to watch next season. They have some good young talent in Bierofka, Balitch, Juan, Butt and Simak. And they will probably have some intriguing new names (Hertsch?)
Don't forget Teddy Lucic was just signed. We need some attackers and Landon fills the bill. Would be nice to see Clint Mathis over there, he could almost wear the same shirt.
can leverkusen call back donovan whenever they want? Or would they have to buy out the last year of his loan with MLS. I"m not to clear on what the situation is between donovan/mls/leverkusen. Can any one explain this?
There is a buyout figure for him to return prior to the end of the 2004 MLS season. Donovan's contract is owned by Bl.04 but is on loan to MLS. Hope that helps.
It was mentioned during the Canada-Germany game today that Kevin McKenna, who scored Canada's goal, is subject to intrest of some Bundesliga clubs. Is Leverkusen looking for a multi-role player?
As it seems, Bayer will keep Franca. Augenthaler doesn't want to let him go, but move him away from the central forward position. Sao Paulo still is very much interested in Franca though; if Leverkusen has a realistic chance on a trade with Kaka, then they are insane if they don't use this opportunity. Neuville's transfer to Hamburg seems to fail. Bayer set a 3 M transfer sum and doesn't want to go lower; Hamburg can't pay that much as it seems. Bastian Reinhardt is defender no. some thousand, who Bayer wants to have, but Reinhardt (Bielefeld, 250 K transfer sum) prefers other of the many offers.
Thanks for fixing it Crewtoon. Olaf, So we are chasing about 1,000 defenders? We should look at Bocanegra!
Latest rumour is that Bayer allows manager Wolfgang Holzhäuser (contract until 2007) to become Eintracht GM for getting Jermaine Jones now.