Werder Bremen are not one of the richest clubs in European football. 

They don’t spend much on a yearly basis, and have only made a few signings in recent seasons that cost more than 10 million pounds. The German side don’t have wealthy owners, and their relatively low league finishes don’t lead to much prize money coming in either.

That means Bremen are forced to look for bargains whenever the transfer window opens up. They scout lesser known leagues to try and find hidden gems across the continent, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. If the Green-Whites aren’t going for younger players, then they are bringing in more experienced names who are unwanted by their current clubs.

With the coronavirus pandemic, that has become especially important this time around. Since games are being played without fans, the club has missed out on plenty of revenue, whether that be ticket sales, merchandise, or even concessions. Less money coming in leads to less money being spent, so Bremen have to be smart with their transfers.

Thankfully for them, there’s a potential deal on the table that could be quite the shrewd acquisition, as Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic is available for a very low price.

In need of a move away

It’s just never come together for Besic at Goodison Park.

The player impressed many while playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2014 World Cup, which led to Everton buying him from Hungarian side Ferencváros for around 5 million pounds.

Besic took some time to acclimate to life in England, and was mostly a squad player during his first season. He often came off the bench to help the team defensively, and had some promising cameos during that time. Next came a handful of starts, with his first one coming in the Merseyside Derby against Liverpool at Anfield. No pressure there.

He would really start to shine in his second year, becoming a crucial part of the midfield after a few stellar performances. Besic was a defensive nuisance in the middle of the park, winning the ball back by intercepting passes or launching into challenges. Sure, some of his tackles were a bit rash, but fans quickly fell in love with his passion.

It all came to a climax during the English League Cup semifinals, as Everton took on Manchester City. Yaya Toure might’ve been one of the Premier League’s best midfielders going into the contest, but he was completely shut down by Besic, who went on to be named man of the match as the Toffees won the first leg 2-1.

The good times kept rolling, as the Bosnian picked up the clubs player of the month award shortly after, and went on to sign a five year contract extension.

However, it all came crashing down the following preseason, as Besic tore his ACL and missed the entire campaign as a result.

Since then, he’s not been able to reclaim his spot in the first team. Loan deals at Middlesbrough and Sheffield United gave supporters hope, but both of those tenures ended on a sour note for different reasons.

Now, Besic is back at Everton, and is with the team during their preseason preparations. However, he won’t be there long, as the club are ready to sell him for roughly 3 million pounds. There’s no specific team linked with him, but reports from the Liverpool Echo state that there is interest coming from clubs in England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Turkey.

That’s where Bremen come into play.

Low risk high reward

They would have to act quickly to get the deal done, but if they can, then Bremen could be making one of the best value signings of the window.

Besic’s value, for a lack of a better term, has hit rock bottom. He’s not got much momentum built up at the moment, and Everton are desperate to sell him as soon as possible to bring in funds for different signings. A bidding war between teams could make his price rise, but it’s likely that the player will end up leaving for a very small fee.

In that regard, Besic becomes a clever investment for the future.

He’s proven that he can be a quality player when he’s confident and in form. If the Bosnian can get back on the field consistently, then he could be a vital part of the team. The better he gets, the higher his value will continue to climb.

It’s something Bremen did with Serge Gnabry a few years ago. He was forced to leave Arsenal after not getting any gametime, so he went to the Green-Whites to rebuild his career. The winger did just that, and went on to join Bayern Munich, where he’s now a Champions League winner. Now, Besic’s ceiling is obviously not as high as Gnabry’s, but a similar scene could still take place.

If Besic can rekindle his previous form, then he would instantly help out Bremen in the middle of the park. They’ve already got an excellent midfield pairing of Maximilian Eggestein and Davy Klaassen, but those two need someone to play behind them. They each like to get forward when the opportunity arises, which leaves the Green-Whites weaker at the back.

At the moment, Bremen don’t have a proper defensive midfielder who can fill that gap. Philipp Bagfrede and Nuri Sahin recently left the club, and even though Kevin Vogt filled in there last season, he’s now gone as well.

With Besic alongside Eggestein and Klaassen, Bremen would have a balanced midfield trio that could lead them up the league standings. The Bosnian is at his best when he's deep, able to stifle opposing players with his work rate and tenacity. He’s not bad with the ball at his feet either, able to dribble out of pressure before pinging a long pass out wide.

All things considered, he could be a perfect fit. Even if the move does fail, the club will have only lost a few million as a result, which is far from the end of the world. Some fans might be concerned with the fact that Besic used to play for bitter rivals Hamburg, but he left them after getting into a physical altercation with a coach, so there’s little chance he still has much love for the club.

Bremen know they need to make the right signings if they want to reclaim their spot as a top team in the Bundesliga. With that in mind, getting Besic could be an ideal way to continue their promising summer recruitment.

VAVEL Logo
About the author