Sebastian Andersson has lost his ‘number ten’ shirt with the reported Leeds United and Celtic target facing an uncertain future at Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin, as reported by the Berliner Zeitung.
If Union have just signed a replacement for their 12-goal top scorer, then what a replacement he is.
Former Germany international Max Kruse has sealed a return to German football after a season in Turkey with Fenerbahce.
And if the veteran can replicate his sensational Werder Bremen displays in the more humble surroundings of the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, then the man in charge of Union’s famous wooden scoreboard will be a busy man next season.
Kruse almost single-handedly dragged Werder into the top half of the table in 2018/19, producing 11 goals and nine assists in his final season in the iconic green shirt.
And the fact that Kruse was unveiled this weekend in Union’s number ten shirt did not go unnoticed. After all, until very recently, that was Andersson’s number.
Kicker, Get Football News Germany and Leeds Live reported in July that Celtic, Leeds, Newcastle United, West Brom and more were all big fans of a late-blooming Sweden international who scored more headed goals (7) than anyone else in the 2019/20 Bundesliga season.
He has (or perhaps had) a £4 million release clause in his contract – one which apparently expired on Saturday. Not that Union director Oliver Ruhnert was willing to divulge such information.
“I cannot confirm that,” he told BZ when asked if Andersson’s contract had expired.
“It’s clear that he’s with us at the moment. He trains with us quite normally.”
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