In the latest installment of our 18 Bundesliga transfer primers on Get German Football News, we bravely tackle the “tire-fire” that is FC Augsburg. The Bavarian Swabians aim to return to their roots after suffering from a disastrous rebranding effort spearheaded by Sandro Wagner. Like many German football fans, I’ve invested a considerable amount of time and effort trying to piece together what went wrong.
With this in mind, our focus now turns to the future. Manuel Baum has been appointed as the coach for this short-term rebuilding initiative. His success will largely depend on how the newly structured front office navigates the upcoming transfer window. New sporting director Benni Weber needs to make the right moves to provide Baum with the necessary assets.
FC Augsburg
Admittedly, this is quite embarrassing.
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Winter Predictions Check, FC Augsburg
Predicted Table Position – 11th place
Actual Table Position – 15th place, 14 points
(4 Wins, 2 Draws, 9 Losses)
(-11 Goal Difference)
What more can I say? I supported the Wagner regime for as long as I could. When attending matches for this club I genuinely care about, I ultimately came to align with the sentiments expressed by loyal fans and ultras. The voices of supporters have been heard, as they are in any top football league. The crucial question remains: how do we fix this?
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Autumn Transfer Assessment, FC Augsburg
Estimated Summer Transfer Balance = –€10.2 million
First, it’s essential to reiterate that the summer transfer class was generally strong. Most of the funds spent were allocated effectively. After I address my ongoing frustration with the loan of Steve Mounie, it’s time to highlight some notable additions who deserve recognition. Han-Noah “Hans” Massengo has continued to demonstrate his early-season potential as a reliable midfielder. Robin Fellhauer’s remarkable early-season performances and Anton Kade’s newfound form highlight that this administration has successfully brought in some strong German talent this summer.
Fellhauer and Kade effectively represent hard-working fighters in the mold of “Fabian Rieder”. Rieder himself has been largely successful, aside from a few disappointing matches against Mainz, Hoffenheim, and RB Leipzig. Unfortunately, Elias Saad has not lived up to expectations. Yet, I’m not ready to write off Saad or his Tunisian teammate Ismäel Gharbi; both need more opportunities to prove themselves. The young talents (such as Noahkhai Banks and Mert Kömür) who signed new contracts this off-season also require additional time to develop.
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While the €4 million spent to permanently acquire Cedric Zesiger may seem like a misstep, it was difficult to anticipate this outcome. Zesiger had an outstanding season prior. Similarly, one of his defensive colleagues, Chrislain Matsima, stands out as a remarkable investment. Overall, Michael Ströll and his team have generally made sound decisions. Financially, the club is also in a strong position, with the club-owned stadium generating significant revenue. Membership is on the rise, exceeding 30,000 this year, and Ströll recently announced a €18.1 million net gain at the last general meeting.
Dead Weight Ledger and Expiring Contracts, FC Augsburg
It’s time to part ways with former promising Germany U21 internationals Maximilian Bauer and Arne Maier. As the team battles relegation, it would be counterproductive to sideline useful young players like Oliver Sorg and Aiman Dardari. Meanwhile, Mahmut Kücüksahin, Felix Meiser, and Franz Bleicher should seek opportunities elsewhere if they spend too much time stuck between the reserves and first team.
Dead-Weight Ledger = Maximilian Bauer (CB), Felix Meiser (CB), Mads Pedersen (LB), Franz Bleicher (CM), Mahmut Kücüksahin (DM), Philip Tietz (LS)
There seems to be a willingness from other clubs to take on Mads Pedersen and Philipp Tietz. Lower-tier Bundesliga teams might show interest in players like Meiser or Elvis Rexhbecaj. The front office would be wise to secure some funds for those two, as both sit on expiring contracts. We can only hope that skipper Jefferey Gouweleeuw can recover from injuryin time for a final appearance with the club.
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Expiring contracts = Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (CB), Arne Maier (CM), Elvis Rexhbecaj (CM)
Further Needs and Rumored Links, FC Augsburg
We could use some additional support on the left side of attack, but the primary focus needs to be on acquiring a genuine leading striker. It’s expected that the club will target two to three candidates for this critical position in the weeks ahead. Currently, there isn’t much exciting gossip circulating in the rumor mill. If the whispers about Mërgim Berisha turn out to be true, I would be both shocked and quite frustrated.
In contrast, the speculation surrounding a loan move for Wolfsburg’s Dzenan Pejcinovic (just as he hits a bit of form) appears much more reasonable. Simply put, this front office, which has missed more than a few times in the past, urgently needs a striker who can perform. No more risks with players like Berisha, Dion Drena Beljo, Irvin Cardona, Ricardo Pepi, Pep Biel, Kelvin Yeboah, or Nathanaël Mbuku.
An overdue success is needed!
Further Needs = LB, LW, CF, SS, LS
Rumored Links = Raoul Petretta (LB), Adin Licia (RW), Mërgim Berisha (CF), Dzenan Pejcinovic (CF)