Werder Bremen have never been among the Bundesliga's big spenders, and this summer have broken the 10 million Euro barrier for the first time. A leading force in German football during the 1990s, the Green-Whites are clearly looking to build on last season's mid-table finish. Here we take a look at three of their recent acquisitions.
Davy Klaassen (Everton FC, €13.5m)
In 2017, Davy Klaassen was signed by English side Everton from famous Dutch outfit Ajax for 27 million Euro. Just a year later, the Dutchman arrives in Bremen for half the price. Given that this is the biggest amount that Werder have ever spent on a single player, one may have to ask whether it is a wise move.
Klaassen was one of those players hand-picked by then Everton manager Ronald Koeman, but when he countryman was sacked early last season, there was no place for the attacking midfielder. Having made four starts in the Toffees' first six matches, he was consigned to the periphery. Not even on the bench for most of the remainder of the season, he made just three further starts.
Capped 16 times by the Netherlands, the 25 year old Klaassen can boast some decent past form. In his 126 starts for Ajax, he scored 44 goals and contributed 26 assists - pretty good in any statistician's books. If he can replicate that sort of form for Florian Kohfeldt's side, that 13.5 million Euro could start to look like chicken feed.
Yuya Osako (1.FC Köln, €4m)
When 1.FC Köln were relegated from the 1. Bundesliga at the end of last season, there was the expected exodus. One of those was Japanese international Yuya Osako, who made the short journey north to Bremen.
The 28 year old forward has plenty of mileage in German football, joining TSV 1860 München in January 2014 before moving to Cologne a year later. His record for the cathedral city club was solid rather than spectacular. In 120 matches for the Billy Goats, he scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists.
Osako may not be the most prolific goalscorer, but he brings plenty of experience at the highest level. Capped 33 times by Japan, he has scored eight goals - including the Samural Blues' second in their recent World Cup victory over Colombia.
Martin Harnik (Hannover 96, €2.25m)
Having signed Austrian Martin Harnik as a teenager in 2006, Werder sold him to VfB Stuttgart for just 300,000 Euro in 2008. After a year out on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf, Harnik quickly established himself as a fan favourite at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. In six seasons, he made 173 appearances, scoring 52 times.
A move to Hannover 96 was even more productive. In two seasons in Lower Saxony, Harnik was on target 26 times in 60 matches. When he made the decision to return to Bremen, it meant that his former club ended up paying more than seven times as much for the player they had let go in 2008.
Now an experienced international veteran with 68 Austrian caps and 15 goals, the 31 year old may not be a long-term investment for Bremen coach Kohfeldt, but he is a solid addition to the squad. He knows the club well, has an excellent goals per game ratio, and brings plenty of experience.
For more Bundesliga fun stuff, check out my Little Bundesliga Book project. Copies of the 2016 pocket book are still available, with the aim of raising funds for a new edition at the end of this season.
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