Werder Bremen has rejected a deadline day transfer for VfB Stuttgart talent Badredine Bouanani. Werder's sporting director Clemens Fritz said this on Tuesday evening.
The 21-year-old attacking player Bouanani had been discussed as a potential replacement for the injured Justin Njinmah. Njinmah, 25, suffered a severe muscle injury in the game against Freiburg and is not expected back until November. For VfB Stuttgart, who sit 18th in the Bundesliga with 0 points and a goal difference of -4 after one match, a move would have been an option to secure playing time for the young Frenchman.
Clemens Fritz, the 45-year-old sporting executive of Werder Bremen, explained the decision on Tuesday evening. "We decided against reacting to Njinmah's absence," Fritz said. "We expect Felix Agu and Mitchell Weiser back soon. The two will give us some flexibility. Mitch can play in midfield, for example."
This internal solution seemed more sensible to Werder than a new signing right before the deadline. VfB Stuttgart must now consider other options for Bouanani's development. The club is already three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the title race and is looking for ways to turn the season around.
For the 21-year-old Badredine Bouanani, the rejected transfer means he stays with VfB Stuttgart for now. His contract with the Swabians is still running. The coach and sporting director must now decide if he is part of the plans for the upcoming fixtures or if other paths will be sought.
The next opportunity to prove himself could be the home game against 1. FC Köln on September 4th. Köln is currently in 6th place. A look at the fixtures schedule shows the density of the program in the coming weeks. The coach's personnel decisions can be tracked on our squad page.
While Bouanani's move fell through, another VfB Stuttgart youngster did secure a loan move. Nineteen-year-old Patrice Covic moved on a one-year loan to Dynamo Dresden. The third-division club did not negotiate a purchase option. Peter Niemeyer, the professional chief of Dynamo Dresden, is betting on the talent's development.
For VfB, this is a classic development step to give players like Covic regular playing time in a professional environment. The current standings of the 3. Liga show the context in which Covic will play.
VfB Stuttgart's focus is now fully on the Bundesliga campaign. After a 1-5 defeat on the opening day, the pressure is on to get a first positive result against Köln. The match on September 4th at the MHPArena is the next chance to earn points and climb out of the relegation zone.
