Rumors: Goalkeeper Merry-Go-Round

It began with coaches, it continues with goalkeepers. The Bundesliga is in quite a reshuffling mood at the moment.

• Manuel Neuer to Bayern. This isn’t really a rumor anymore, but rather a foregone conclusion, now that Neuer announced his Schalke exit during a teary eyed press conference. One could namedrop Manchester United, just in case, but the press and BILD in particular are already discussing contract details and transfer fees, while interviewing his new Bayern team mates. (BILD)
• Tim Wiese to Schalke. Tim Wiese could be a proven and experienced Neuer replacement – though not nearly on Neuer’s level when he needs to leave the goal line or play some football. With no Champions League money next season, Werder are looking to reduce their wage budget and could be willing to let one of their top earners go – especially one who has only one year left on his contract. (BILD)
• Ron-Robert Zieler to Schalke/Bremen/HSV. Mirko Slomka has a knack for unearthing promising goalkeeper talents. He infamously replaced Frank Rost with a young Manuel Neuer in mid season during his spell at Schalke. He repeated that feat at Hanover, replacing Florian Fromlowitz with Ron-Robert Zieler. The young keeper has already shown a lot of promise during his short Bundesliga career. Hanover are keen to extend his current contract (2012) and so far have shown no willingness to let him go. Zieler could replace Neuer at Schalke, Wiese at Bremen, should he leave for Schalke or might duke it out with Drobny at Hamburg. (BILD)
• Oliver Baumann to Schalke. The other young goalkeeper who had his breakthrough season in the Bundesliga is Freiburg’s Oliver Baumann. Different to Zieler signing him as Neuer replacement will be significantly more difficult if not impossible for Schalke. Baumann’s contract still runs until 2014 and with Papis Demba Cisse set to make Freiburg quite rich this summer, the club won’t need to cash in on Baumann just yet. (Badische Zeitung)
• Thomas Kraft to Schalke/Hamburg/Hertha. The latest promising goalkeeper talent that fell victim of Bayern internal politics and conflicts. There is no shortage of suitors who bank on Thomas Kraft developing into a good Bundesliga grade goalkeeper at their club. Schalke could swap goalkeepers with Bayern, Hamburg for some reason don’t seem to trust Drobny too much and Hertha have a goalkeeper problem ever since Drobny left them last summer. (kicker – Spiegel – BILD)
• Florian Fromlowitz to Bremen/Hertha. Fromlowitz lost his starting spot to Zieler and with his contract running out this summer, he is looking for a new employee. He could replace Wiese at Bremen or join almost certainly promoted Hertha. (BILD)
• Franco Costanzo to Schalke/Hertha. Here is a goalkeeper who isn’t from the Bundesliga for a change. Costanzo, originally from Argentina, has been with Swiss club FC Basel for the past six years, where he is held in high regard. His contract is running out and he is now set to be replaced by Swiss U21 goalkeeper Yann Sommer at Basel. (Der Westen – Goal.com)

So here are the dominoes ready to fall, and there are quite a few other goalkeepers, who have only one year left on their contract this summer and could join the party – includes prominent names like Rene Adler.

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Category: Rumors