New HSV Sports Director Kathleen Krüger has a multitude of tasks ahead, not least the replacement of rising star Luka Vuskovic.
Rising star Luka Vuskovic? Practically gone. Technical wizard Fabio Vieira? His stay is highly unlikely. The future of forwards Ransford Königsdörffer, Robert Glatzel, and Jean-Luc Dompé? Uncertain. The workload is already piling up at Hamburger SV, with Kathleen Krüger, as the new Sports Director, immediately facing difficult squad decisions.
However, the club’s coffers are not entirely empty as Krüger begins building the new team for the upcoming season. But substantial multi-million euro transfers, which the 40-year-old is accustomed to from her time at FC Bayern, are not feasible. «We are not rich, but we are healthy. And we want to continue on our sensible and sustainable path,» stated Krüger’s finance-responsible board colleague Eric Huwer in an NDR interview.
Consequently, Krüger, whose official start date is July 1st, will have to let Vuskovic and Vieira go – the two players who were instrumental in securing the team’s league status. Defensive leader Vuskovic is only on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the current season, and any club wishing to acquire the highly talented 19-year-old Croatian will need to dig deep into their pockets. «My prediction is that a transfer fee of 70 million euros will not be enough for him,» said Huwer, and the World Cup hasn’t even been played yet.
HSV: Vieira Also Facing Departure — Krüger Must Address Multiple Areas
Vieira is also on loan, but theoretically, Hamburg could secure the midfielder from FC Arsenal thanks to a purchase option. However, «at the price agreed upon last year, we cannot do it,» stated Huwer, with the figure reportedly around 20 million euros.
Therefore, Krüger, in collaboration with Sporting Director Claus Costa, must find new players who will ensure the team’s league survival, or even a bit more, next year. It was precisely Krüger’s «strategic thinking» that convinced the HSV supervisory board to entrust her with the vacant position after Stefan Kuntz’s departure. And the former player is eager for the new role after 17 years at Bayern, becoming the first permanent Sports Director in the Bundesliga. «It is a real privilege to be able to significantly shape Hamburger SV, one of the true giants of German football, on the sporting level in the future,» said Krüger after her appointment.
This will now include finding the necessary replacements for Vuskovic and Vieira, as well as clarifying the futures of players like Königsdörffer, Glatzel, Dompé, Albert Grönbaek, and William Mikelbrencis. Loan players Damion Downs and Giorgi Gocholeishvili are likely to leave the club after one year.
«We are undergoing a transformation,» said Huwer, «but if we can have another transfer window with the same hit rate as last year, then no one needs to worry.»
Expectations for Krüger are high.