After winning the warm-up match against Aberdeen, Werder Bremen only has one more warm-up match left in July.
Coach Schaaf is highly satisfied with the team's offensive cooperation in the midfield and frontcourt during these two games.
With the additions of Lucas and De Bruyne, Werder Bremen's attacking power in the front line has significantly increased compared to last season.
However, the issue of the team's defense still persists, prompting the coach to search for the desired defender in the transfer market.
His initial offer is 1.5 million euros for Liberec defender Theodor Selassie, aged 26.
Liberec, the reigning champions of the Czech republic league, will be competing in the Champions League next season, so they are unwilling to sell their players at a low price at the moment.
Consequently, they flatly rejected Werder Bremen's offer, stating that Selassie is not for sale.
Nevertheless, due to the relatively lower level and attention received by the Czech League, it becomes challenging for them to retain players who are sought after by the major leagues.
In such cases, if an offer impressive enough is presented, they eventually agree to transfer the player.
Coach Schaaf is well aware of this situation, considering that the Bundesliga often targets players from these Eastern European leagues such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and even Ukraine.
To entice Liberec, he increased the offer by 300,000 euros, making it 1.8 million euros.
Liberec is moved by this improved offer since Selassie was not deemed an indispensable and absolute key player for them.
By accepting Werder Bremen's offer, they would secure 1.8 million euros that could be utilized to acquire and develop promising young talents.
If they managed to nurture a star player among these talents, they could potentially make a significant profit.
As a result, Liberec agreed to the transfer, and the deal was completed.
Selassie is a versatile player who can perform well both as a full-back and center-back, adding depth to the team's defensive options.
However, the central defensive position still requires reinforcement, necessitating the acquisition of additional players.
Before pursuing new signings, Schaaf aimed to bring in Sokratis Papastathopoulos, the team's main central defender, who is on loan from Genoa.
Papastathopoulos, a 24-year-old Greek player in his prime, was valued as high as 8 million euros two years ago. However, due to limited playing time at AC Milan during the 2009-10 season, his value dropped to 2 million euros.
After being loaned to Werder Bremen last season, Papastathopoulos impressed both the fans and the club with his performances.
Recognizing his immense potential, Schaaf made a 2 million euro offer to acquire him permanently.
Although Genoa had no intention of recalling Papastathopoulos, they were reluctant to sell him at such a low price.
Especially considering his excellent performance in the Bundesliga last season, the 2 million euro offer did not meet their expectations.
Consequently, they rejected Werder Bremen's offer and announced that it would take at least 5 million euros to secure the Greek player's services.
This price exceeded Werder Bremen's limit, but Schaaf, determined to sign Papastathopoulos, raised the offer to 3.5 million euros, clearly stating that it was the absolute maximum they would pay.
Upon hearing the new offer, Genoa promptly agreed to the deal, leaving Coach Schaaf realizing that he had been tricked and becoming furious.
Despite his anger, he acknowledged that the team had acquired a fantastic deal.
Obtaining a main central defender who could contribute to the team for at least seven or eight seasons for 3.5 million euros was incredibly lucrative.
Moreover, based on Papastathopoulos's performance in the previous Bundesliga season, if he continued his outstanding form, there was a high chance of attracting attention from some top clubs.
This meant that if the team decided to sell him in the future, they wouldn't have trouble finding buyers and could potentially make a substantial profit.
Schaaf promptly informed the club and finalized the signing of Papastathopoulos.
Having purchased two defenders, Werder Bremen's budget was nearly depleted, leaving them with no choice but to sign Düsseldorf's central defender Lukimya on a free transfer, without any transfer fee involved.
Although Lukimya was a free agent, he possessed considerable strength. He played a pivotal role in Düsseldorf's defense in last season and had initially planned to transfer to Cologne in the Bundesliga.
However, Cologne's unexpected relegation caused the transfer to fall through.
Lukimya had no interest in playing in lower-tier leagues, so when presented with the opportunity by Werder Bremen, he readily accepted.
With the signings of three defenders and the promotion of a young player from the team's youth team, the budget-conscious Werder Bremen concluded their transfer activities for the season.
This summer, Werder Bremen earned 11.25 million euros from player transfers and spent 6.25 million euros on acquisitions and loans.
Overall, they made a net profit of 5 million euros, and made a modest gain.
In contrast to Werder Bremen's frugal approach and meticulous planning, the transfer market witnessed lavish spending from wealthy clubs, indulging in their pursuit of preferred players.
The Russian Super League's local powerhouse, Zenit St. Petersburg, secured the services of Porto striker Hulk with a staggering offer of 50 million euros, showcasing the financial resources of Russian oligarchs to the world.
Paris Saint-Germain, not to be outdone, signed AC Milan's main defender Thiago Silva for 42 million euros, setting a new record for the transfer fee of a football defender.
This highlighted the extravagant spending habits of the Middle Eastern tycoons.
Notably, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich acquired Athletic Bilbao's primary defender Javi Martinez for 40 million euros, surpassing the previous transfer record in Bundesliga history. The threshold increased from 33 million euros to 40 million euros.
However, Martinez's performance in the Bundesliga was subpar due to frequent injuries, resulting in significantly reduced appearances and diminished form.
This record-breaking transfer proved to be a disappointment for Bayern, but these outcomes were yet to be revealed.
The extravagant spending spree of the wealthy clubs seemed to ignite the buying frenzy among other major clubs, prompting them to make their own moves.
Chelsea secured the contract of Hazard from Lille for £32 million.
Real Madrid acquired Modric from Tottenham for £30 million.
Arsenal captain Robin van Persie made a switch to Manchester United for £24 million.
...
The continuous stream of transfer news overwhelmed fans.
Initially, these reports had no connection to Lucas and others.
However, a Barcelona-related rumor was revealed by World Sports Daily.
It disclosed that a Soviet Super League club had offered Barcelona 5 million euros in an attempt to sign Lucas from the youth team to play in their league.
Due to its limited coverage and lack of follow-up, the news quickly faded into obscurity.
Lucas himself remained oblivious to the situation.
Nonetheless, this development sparked unease within Barcelona, causing some individuals to become restless.
"Damn it, what has that kid done? How did he attract an offer before the Bundesliga even started?"
(End of chapter)