- Werner seeks out additional participants.
Nuri Sahin has some experience with the thrill of "Transfer Deadline Day." Six years back, he himself made a move on the last day of the transfer window, switching from Borussia Dortmund to Werder Bremen.
This coming Saturday (15:30 CET/Sky), there's a meet-up at the Weserstadion. The ex-Werder pro Sahin, at only 35 years old, now heads Borussia Dortmund's bench, facing off against his previous squad. He hinted at his desire to become a coach during his two-year stint in Bremen from 2018 to 2020. However, Edin Terzic's succession arrived sooner than expected over the summer.
"Werder Bremen is a top-notch club," Sahin shared on Thursday. "I had a fantastic time there. We made great friends who welcomed us and are still our friends today." He also stays in touch with former Werder legends like Frank Baumann, Tim Borowski, or Florian Kohfeldt.
Werder's squad isn't completely set yet
Sahin has previously played alongside some current Werder players such as Leonardo Bittencourt, Marco Friedl, and Milos Veljkovic. Preparing to face his old team poses some obstacles, as the final configuration of the Werder squad will only become clear after the transfer deadline on Friday evening at 18:00 CET.
At least, the keeping of top striker Marvin Ducksch is confirmed for Werder this season. However, additional reinforcements are necessary for the central midfield and right-wing positions.
Defender Veljkovic also seems to be under late interest from Spanish La Liga club CA Osasuna. If Sold, Werder would need a suitable replacement for the Serbian international.
Ole Werner, Werder's coach, expressed on Thursday, "As things stand, we haven't received any definite information about Milos, so I'm planning with him for now."
The only positive update for Werner was this, as Werder hasn't signed any new players since the transfers of Marco Grüll (Rapid Wien), Keke Topp (Schalke 04), and Markus Kolke (Hansa Rostock) over two months ago.
"I hope something happens," Werner said again in public. "What my intent is, everyone at the club knows. But I also know that implementation is a different story."
"New challenges are exciting"
Werner seeks more competition and a performance upgrade in several positions. "I'm the coach here. Primarily, I'm responsible for working with the players we have. And I think we have many talented players," he said. "But for further progress, change is always good. New challenges are exciting. We're working on that."
His counterpart Sahin has been successful in signing German players like Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Beier, or Pascal Groß for approximately 80 million euros at Dortmund this summer. Yet, Werner doesn't harbor envy. "I enjoy working here. And, of course, our goal and motivation are to keep moving forward."
Nuri Sahin expressed fondness for his time at Werder Bremen, keeping in touch with former teammates like Frank Baumann, Tim Borowski, and Milos Veljkovic.
The transfer deadline is approaching, and it remains unclear if Milos Veljkovic, who has been attracting interest from Spanish La Liga club CA Osasuna, will be departing Werder Bremen, which could necessitate the signing of a suitable replacement.
