Transfer Rumour Roundup

By: Anna | May 15th, 2008

With all focus on Mario Gomez, as soon as the words “transfer” and “Stuttgart” are said, one could forget there are a few other people in this team. But the rumours are everywhere and here’s an attempt to summarise what’s been going on the past weeks.

Simak working on his recovery The definite signings: With Jan Šimak (Carl Zeiss Jena) and Martin Lanig (SpVgg Greuther Fürth), the VfB has signed two midfielders. Simak is supposed to strengthen the lacking “creative” department, while Lanig probably is one who will start in the second team and be saved as an emergency solution. Šimak is currently working on the recovery from a groin operation in Stuttgart.

Loan deals: Due to disappointing performances, Sergiu Radu is probably going to return to Wolfsburg, Ewerthon will either stay at Espanyol Barcelona or return right to Saragossa. Both turned out to not be the solution we’ve been searching for in the attack.

David Pisot is currently on a loan deal at SC Paderborn and I suppose he’s going to return from there this summer, especially since inner defenders are something the club is missing.

As for Christian Gentner, loaned to Wolfsburg until 2009, apparently he wants to stay there. Magath and Heldt already discussed the options and it seems like Gentner will be sold to the VfL. A decision that probably is the best for him since he developed to a leading player there, but which disappoints me nevertheless, because I really would have loved to see him play at Stuttgart again. And why would Stuttgart first refuse to add a buying option to the contract and then decide to let him go a year later?

The goalkeeper situation: As I already wrote, Raphael Schäfer’s time in Stuttgart seems to be over. According to rumours, Horst Heldt already contacted Jens Lehmann, who may or may not be looking for a club to go to after the Euro 08.

Defence: On the right wing, Andi Beck wasn’t quite satisfied with always being second choice to Osorio, but as of lately there haven’t been any news, so I guess he’ll stay.
Edit: Okay, seems I was wrong about that and a) Andi is still very unhappy with his situation and
b) his agent is going to meet Heldt for a conversation about the possibilities…
The VfB is still looking for another inner defender after Gledson went back to Rostock this winter. This is important especially because Fernando Meira seemed extremely flattered by the offer from Juventus Turin last summer and somehow this story doesn’t quite seem to be over yet. With David Pisot and Marco Pischorn, Stuttgart have two alternatives from the own youth, but it is apparent that this doesn’t quite seem to satisfy the manager (though if they get another inner defender, Pischorn should look for a loan deal to get some practice).

Midfield: With two new midfielders signed, it’s getting a little crowded there. My guess is that Alexander Farnerud, who never quite had his breakthrough, is going to leave.
With Šimak, Bastürk and da Silva we now have three creative midfielders, or at least players who like to be called that. It’s quite possible that da Silva might have to go, too, even though his last performances weren’t really bad. However, since Bastürk came, he seems to have fallen from the coach’s favour, for what reason I can’t imagine.

I’m also having my doubts about Šimak. Not so much about his abilities on the pitch, but his personality, which has caused him trouble before. But he says he changed and is really glad about his second chance in the Bundesliga. Here’s to hoping he uses it.

Attack: The problem isn’t so much the attack in the starting line up, which worked out even in this season, the problem is to find someone to take the place of Gomez or Cacau in case of an injury. With Radu leaving, hopes are on Ciprian Marica, who didn’t live up to the expectations so far. But other players also needed a year to get used to their new environment, so I hope he’ll perform better next year.

Very uncertain rumours circle around the names Voronin and Pantelic (mostly speculations from the newspapers’ sides, nothing that should scare Abby), and then there’s Ivan Klasnic, who is leaving Bremen this summer, and who Horst Heldt called “interesting,” whatever that means.

As for Mario Gomez, here’s what he said last week: “It’s widely known that I feel very well here in Stuttgart and that I have a contract that still lasts a while, and right now I’m not contemplating to leave at all.”