Luca Caldirola is in a similar boat after he handed in a transfer request a few months ago. “Luca expressed his desire to move on”, said Baumann, who doesn’t want to get in the way of the Italian. “We have opened talks but will bide our time.” The central defender is still training in Osterdeich, but not with the team. The same cannot be said for Aron Johannsson. Baumann is clear and open about the American striker, “Aron belongs to the Bundesliga squad and will remain so for the rest of the week.” Whether he intends to leave or not, Baumann is firm that “we will find a concrete solution.”

The sporting director also needs to find some solutions for his transfer wish list. Two midfielders and a replacement goalkeeper are needed. “We have been scouring the market intensively”, he admits. Bigger names necessitate patience when it comes to transfers: “Quality is the highest priority. The new signings need to fit the bill completely.” Throwing money out the window is not an option for Baumann. “We will be bold but stay sensible… We won’t do anything crazy, rather pay for a player based on his merit.”

Fin Bartels has proved his worth at SV Werder with 112 appearances for the Green-Whites. However his torn Achilles tendon has kept him off the pitch since December 2017. “He is working very hard, but still alone. I really hope that he’ll be back training with the team soon”, said Kohfeldt. Despite being in rehab for so long, Bartels has to be patient. “He needs time. Then he will be an important pillar of the team once again”, Werder’s coach continued.