- Hoffenheim has secured the signing of Hertha Berlin's forward, Haris Tabakovic.
Haris Tabakovic is bidding farewell to Hertha BSC, his team in the 2. Bundesliga, to join Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, as both clubs announced on a Friday night. No specifics were disclosed regarding the length of the 30-year-old's fresh contract.
Rumors of this transfer were swirling around since Thursday, with various news outlets suggesting that an agreement had been struck between Hertha and Hoffenheim. At a press conference before Hertha's game against Regensburg on Saturday, coach Christian Fiel admitted that Tabakovic had skipped the morning training session.
Hertha stands to gain financially from this transfer
While Tabakovic hasn't notched any goals this season, his departure is a substantial blow to Hertha's sporting department, as Fiel puts it, "These are all players who still have ambitions, perhaps different visions. That's just football." Fiel has alternatives in Luca Schuler, Florian Niederlechner, and Smail Prevljak, and is confident that they can deliver goals.
Hertha needs the financial boost, with the second-division team struggling financially. Reports suggest that the transfer fee could range between €3 million and €5 million, a substantial profit considering Tabakovic joined Hertha last summer from Austria Wien for around €500,000 and quickly became a mainstay, sharing the league's top scorer title with Christos Tzolis and Robert Glatzel with 22 goals.
Tabakovic will step into the shoes left vacant by Wout Weghorst and Maximilian Beier's departures at Hoffenheim. "Haris, with his physical presence and power, is a classic target forward who's demonstrated his goal-scoring instincts over the years and across various clubs," said Frank Kramer, Hoffenheim's interim sporting director.
Hertha's financial gain from Tabakovic's transfer to the Bundesliga could significantly aid their second-division team's financial struggles. With Tabakovic's departure, Hertha's Second Bundesliga team will miss his contributions, as he previously shared the league's top scorer title during his tenure.
