A horrific start to the Bundesliga, followed by a barnstorming turnaround then a bumpy finish saw Borussia Monchengladbach end the first-half of the season in fourth place and on track for another year of European football.
However, like almost every football side, improvements can be made, and with the January window upon us, it is time to look at some potential targets for Andre Schubert and Max Eberl.
While Gladbach have not often had trouble scoring this season, their lack of serious pace up front has occasionally seen them become bogged down by a stoic defensive line, waiting for a runner to pose a threat.
POPULAR ARTICLES
How Twitter reacted to Everton’s 2-1 win against Manchester City
Five players Inter Milan should sign this transfer window
Five players AS Roma should sign this transfer window
Five players Napoli should sign this transfer window
As such, this list focuses mainly on attacking options, particularly those useful as a fast outlet. Despite conceding the third most goals in the league, Die Fohlen’s defence is not as big a problem as you may think, with many of these often coming about from individual errors, or simple brilliance from the other side.
Jonas Hoffman (already purchased) – Wide Midfielder
The devastating injury to Andre Hahn earlier in the season combined with niggles for Ibrahima Traore and poor form elsewhere, saw Gladbach dip into the market early to pry Jonas Hoffman from Borussia Dortmund. Thorgan Hazard’s troubles with form this season meant a need for another go-to man, and Hoffman jumped at the opportunity, having struggled to break into Dortmund’s first team.
Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan) – Right-back
With only one out-and-out right fullback in the squad, Andre Schubert can find himself a little out of depth if Julian Korb picks up a niggle. The likes of Harvard Nordtveit and Tony Jantschke could deputise, but not to the same degree of a natural right-sided defender.
After bursting onto the world stage as one of the most promising youngsters around, the still developing Mattia De Sciglio has quietened down with injuries in recent years, but is still a formidable defender and a strong option going forward. Rotation with Korb would help to ease the load on the Italian’s body, but would also offer plenty of minutes to keep him interested. Discipline has occasionally been cited as a problem, but an experienced defence around him would help that.
A seasoned midfield general
Borussia Monchengladbach’s squad boats plenty of talented midfielders, but the side is in need of a full-time leader through the centre. Granit Xhaka you may ask? Well, sometimes yes, but after picking up three reds in the first-half of the season, one must question his capability as a role model. The fiery passion he possesses is coupled with brilliant technical ability, but there is too much of one on display far too often.
While it is hard to name an individual player who could instantly fill this gap, a leader need only have experience and a cool head, as well as a good footballing IQ. This player can also be the ‘father figure’ off the pitch, particularly for a young squad like Borussia’s, and can help players to stay confident during tough times.
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) – Striker
That might sound silly and understandably so. The English international has had a horror run of injuries in past seasons, so a move for him seems strange, but Gladbach could make it work. Their attacking style is not as aggressive as that of Liverpool’s, while his surging pace would benefit those up front who he can play off. With Raffael getting older and Josip Drmic struggling when tasked with leading the line, a -marksman with top-level experience would benefit the Foals enormously.
The winter break offered by the Bundesliga may even help Sturridge by breaking up tough schedules, and as for playing two-up-top? The Liverpool striker’s incredible performances with Luis Suarez in that 2013-14 season showed that sharing the limelight is no problem for the dancing 26-year-old.
Luciano Vietto (Atletico Madrid) – Striker
During and after the 2014-15 season, Villareal’s Luciano Vietto was a got topic among many clubs in Europe, before eventually joining Atletico Madrid instead. However, the youngster has only made six appearances in his time there, and the opportunity for greater involvement would be hard to pass up. The young Argentine is blessed with pace and a fantastic finish, and like Sturridge, would fit in well with the style that Die Fohlen utilised.
A €20 million buy for Diego Simeone, Gladach could easily look for a lower price than that given the lack of playtime he has seen, and a move for the youngster would be a big statement of intent heading into the season’s second-half.
Conclusion
A purchase of any of the afore-mentioned targets will be seen as a success from the point of Gladbach fans, however Andre Schubert is unlikely to dip too heavily into the market. The manager has appeared to be relatively happy with his squad balance throughout the season and may see no reason to shake things up and maybe unsettle the squad. His actions remain to be seen and keep an eye out for these names if Borussia do decide to enter the market.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
