With one day left to go before the end of the summer transfer window and two days left before Saturday’s home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05 (02/09, 15:30 CEST), there were lots of questions to be asked at the pre-match press conference. Clemens Fritz, head of scouting and professional football, confirmed that Werder are close to signing Belgium international Olivier Deman. Head coach Ole Werner, meanwhile, was fully focused on the upcoming match at home against FSV.
One question that all the journalists in attendance were hoping to get an answer to was about a Niclas Füllkrug’s potential departure from Werder. The head coach once again spoke about the important role Füllkrug plays within the team, but added “If any changes take place then there’s always the question of how the team as a whole handles it. If they are able to handle it well, then it can also be seen as an opportunity.” Clemens Fritz picked up on this topic in the following question, confirming that Oliver Burke and Dikeni Salifou are set to leave on loan, with Ilia Gruev preparing for a permanent move to Leeds United.
Fritz was also able to confirm a new signing for the Green-Whites, with Belgium international Olivier Deman set to join the club. “We have had our eyes on him for a while. He’s a very reliable player with a lot of intensity in his game,” said Fritz about the 23-year-old. “Despite his young age he has been able to amass a lot of experience already and has just recently made his senior international debut.”
Werner confirmed Fritz’s impressions of Deman and added that the potential new signing “Could join us in team training tomorrow and would then also be part of the matchday squad on Saturday.”
Despite the potential changes that his team could still undergo before the window closes, Werner was confident that the players are focused on the task ahead. “At the end of the game, we are all professionals and are focused on the game and our job. What’s happening outside should not have an impact and I won’t be concerned with it either, not when we are playing in front of a sold-out wohninvest WESERSTADION,” he said. Naturally, it isn’t easy to deal with changes to the personnel so close to the deadline, “But that is the reality which we have to deal with,” said the coach. “It’s a tough and challenging thing to manage, but I’m ready to take it on.”
