Hamburger SV received a better transfer grade than northern rival Werder Bremen for their summer business. According to an analysis by Global Soccer Networks, HSV earned a 1- grade while Werder got a 2+. The report was published on Tuesday by NDR.de. HSV begins with this new squad after a difficult season opener, having lost 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund on matchday one and currently sitting in 14th place in the Bundesliga standings.
How does GSN rate the HSV transfers?
Global Soccer Networks views Hamburger SV's summer work positively. The experts noted that the club improved nearly every line of the team qualitatively. The signings of Fabio Vieira, who was signed permanently after his loan, Zakaria El Ouadhi and David Möller Wolfe on deadline day were highlighted. They complement the earlier acquisitions of Patson Daka, Terem Moffi, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Albert Grönbaek. Despite the departure of key players like Robert Glatzel, Ransford Yeboah Königsdörffer, Luka Vuskovic, Jean-Luc Dompé and Fabio Baldé, GSN estimates HSV's squad is clearly better now. The team reportedly has the quality for a secure mid-table finish in the Bundesliga.
Kathleen Krüger, HSV's new sporting director, commented on the transfer activity with the words: "alles andere als selbstverständlich und ein starkes Zeichen für unserer Entwicklung" (anything but taken for granted and a strong sign of our development). Together with Claus Costa, Director of Professional Football, and coach Merlin Polzin, she has shaped a squad with more depth. GSN does see minor weaknesses, however. There is some redundancy in the striker position due to similar player profiles and a lack of a dominant defensive midfielder to control the space behind the attackers.
How does Werder Bremen compare?
The northern rival from Bremen received a grade of 2+ from Global Soccer Networks. Werder also increased quality and squad depth with signings like Niclas Füllkrug, Eren Dinkci, Henrique Reis, Chuki, Devyne Regeer, Arthur and Iliman Ndiaye. Football managing director Clemens Fritz emphasized the squad's flexibility: "We have guys in the squad who can play two, three positions and we are covered at least twice in every position." Coach Daniel Thioune thus has more options.
The crucial difference lies in handling departures. While HSV better compensated for larger personnel losses and increased the quality of the starting eleven more significantly, Werder Bremen must primarily cope with the loss of Romano Schmid. Schmid was an important creative player for Bremen. The analysis concludes that while Werder's squad is broader and slightly better in quality, HSV had the more effective transfer period in direct comparison.
What is HSV's sporting situation?
The transfer assessment occurs against a concrete sporting backdrop. Hamburger SV started the season with a defeat and has zero points on the board. In the table, they sit in 14th place with 0 points, 0 goals scored and a -2 goal difference. They are already three points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The team must now translate the positive transfer rating into on-pitch results.
The next test comes this Sunday. HSV will host FSV Mainz 05 at home at 15:30. Mainz is currently in 10th place. The match will be broadcast on the NDR Livecenter. For Merlin Polzin and his team, it's an early opportunity to get their first points of the season and continue the trend from the transfer window. All upcoming fixtures can be viewed on our fixtures page. The current squad composition with all new signings is available in the team section.
Deadline day activities were intense for both clubs. HSV made five transfers on the final day of the summer window, Werder Bremen made four. Both northern Bundesliga rivals aim for a relatively worry-free season. Whether HSV can confirm its slight lead in the transfer rating in the league will be shown on Sunday against Mainz.
