Transfer jam - Waiting for the domino

Whether Florian Wirtz will be the domino that finally gets the summer transfer season moving remains to be seen. Many Bundesliga clubs are currently facing major problems because they have plenty of ideas but little money—and therefore have to sell players first.

FC Bayern Munich has traditionally had a lot of money, but even the record champions have their limits. It's no secret that Max Eberl worked hard to lure Wirtz from Leverkusen to the Isar, but with the sums now circulating around the German rising star's apparently imminent move to Liverpool, the supervisory board finally put the brakes on the manager. So, for now, the Munich club will stick with the two signings: Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen) for central defense and Tom Bischof (Hoffenheim) for midfield.

Leverkusen itself has also been holding back so far; after Mark Flekken (goalkeeper/Brentford) and Ibrahim Maza (midfielder/Hertha BSC), they have also signed U21 international Tim Oermann (defense/VfL Bochum, on loan to Sturm Graz) and French youth international Axel Tape (defense/Paris Saint-Germain). However, it is clear that a large portion of Wirtz's earnings will be reinvested in a replacement for the attack and other squad improvements. For Bayer, the motto "no cheap Wirtz" will most likely apply, as all the clubs with which the Werkself are now negotiating new signings are naturally aware of the suddenly bulging savings account.

It's possible that a financially sound, but far from wealthy, club like Borussia Mönchengladbach could at least indirectly benefit from the "Wirtz domino." The team from the Lower Rhine region has so far signed Kevin Diks (defense/Copenhagen) and Jens Castrop (midfield/Nuremberg) for little money, but manager Roland Virkus has and always has had numerous other players on his wish list.

For example, a few weeks ago, Virkus confirmed to Sportschau that he found Benedict Hollerbach's profile "very interesting." The striker had a strong season for Union Berlin and, in Virkus' opinion, would have been the ideal complement to Tim Kleindienst. Gladbach couldn't afford the reported €10 million transfer fee Union demanded, at least not as long as they didn't generate any revenue of their own.

Virkus was already in close contact with Hollerbach, who has scored nine goals and provided three assists for Union and can play all four positions in attack: both wingers, center forward, and a free agent. However, no taker has yet been found for potential buyer Ko Itakura, whose contract expires in 2026 and his move is therefore essential for VfL this summer to generate a transfer fee. The same applies to Florian Neuhaus, who doesn't get along with coach Gerardo Seoane and is therefore also slated for sale.

Virkus then had to watch as 1. FSV Mainz 05 snapped up Hollerbach. There, he is seen as a precursor to a possible sale of Jonathan Burkardt, who, in turn, is being discussed with Eintracht Frankfurt if Hugo Ekitiké is sold. But Mönchengladbach is currently hesitant to make such a precursor. There is also a clear directive from the new CFO Stefan Stegemann, who is continuing the tradition of his predecessor Stephan Schippers and, ultimately, that of legendary managing director Helmut Grashoff from the 1970s: No money will be spent that has not been earned beforehand.

This is difficult for Virkus, and at times even frustrating. According to Sportschau reports, he now faces a similar scenario with Shuto Machino as with Hollerbach, and incidentally also with Paderborn's attacking talent Ilyas Ansah, who has now signed with Union instead of Gladbach . Attacking all-rounder Machino, who contributed eleven goals and three assists for Holstein Kiel in the relegation season, is quite keen on a move to the Lower Rhine region. Virkus also desperately wants him, but he has to stall – mindful of the risk that Machino's management takes too long and the Japanese player ends up signing elsewhere.

Virkus now hopes that Bayer Leverkusen will turn to Itakura, a World Cup participant and regular on Japan's national team, in their search for Tah's successor. It would then take less than a week for Gladbach to sign Machino. However, the manager doesn't know how quickly this will all happen. He told Sportschau: "We are prepared to act immediately if a door opens, like it did with Kleindienst last season. But we are also preparing for a very long transfer summer and unfortunately have to wait until the first dominoes fall, from which we can also benefit."