Just five games to go and another season of the Bundesliga will be over. Yet another season which sees Bayern Munich on top. Good to see Borussia Dortmund back in the top 3 as they are now second and 7 points Bayern. Hertha Berlin is the surprise package of the season, in third position, and a whopping 19 points behind Dortmund. The funny part is that Hertha (3rd) are 19 points behind 2nd place and 19 points clear of the relegation zone.
Now as the season approaches its end, the opening day of the summer transfer window gets closer and closer. The window isn’t even open yet and still we see new rumours every day. I’m pretty sure clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will be in the market for sure, to offload a few players and sign new ones.
Let’s take a look at 4 players who are mostly going to leave their club this summer.
Mario Götze
After his controversial move from Borussia Dortmund, Mario Götze hasn’t really got what he had expected. With Thomas Muller in top form and now Thiago Alcantara also fit, the 23-year-old is constantly falling down the pecking order.
Bayern has had a fantastic season, but the same can’t be said for Götze who isn’t a regular starter according to current manager Pep Guardiola. Even though the manager is departing after the end of the season, it seems unlikely that Götze will stay at the club.
The German international was one of the best attacking midfielders when he was at Borussia Dortmund. Now, without regular game time, his form is dipping. He will surely not risk that and make his move to a club which offers regular game time.
As the transfer period closes in, strong rumours of Götze joining Liverpool have emerged. Multiple reports stating that the German international is all set to reunite with his former manager Jürgen Klopp at Anfield.
Ilkay Gundogan
He is one of those players who have suffered because of injuries. A top midfielder 2-3 years ago, but the injury-hit German international is no longer a regular in Borussia Dortmund’s squad and this summer is most probably his last at the club.
Dortmund has returned strong this season after a poor finish last season. They are 7 points adrift off league leaders Bayern Munich. Gundogan has played his role in this resurgence but he is no longer a regular now.
The fans will be sad to see him depart like this, but there are no options for the club as well as the player. This is the perfect time for the 25-year-old to start a new adventure in a new league under a new manager.
All signs indicate that the German is headed towards the exit door and there are numerous teams waiting to pounce. Most noticeable are Manchester City. Pep Guardiola wants to bolster his midfield and sees Ilkay Gundogan as a good replacement for Yaya Toure.
Bas Dost
Most of the football fans got to know about Bas Dost last season when he helped Wolfsburg finish 2nd in the Bundesliga. He finished the season with 16 goals, just 3 behind the leading goal scorer. The highlight of the season was when he netted 4 goals against Leverkusen in February last year.
After the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, who managed to provide 21 assists last season, Wolfsburg is struggling in Bundesliga. They lie in 8th place on the table and are 6 points away from a Europa League spot. Failure to get a European spot might be a signal for Dost to leave.
The Dutch international will turn 27 in next month and he is in the prime of his career. In other words, he deserves to be at a club which plays at the top level and that is why he will most probably leave Bundesliga to go to Italy or England.
The rumours don’t stop, but there are very few about Bas Dost. He is a player who will attract attention from clubs like Napoli, as a replacement for the “rumoured to leave” Gonzalo Higuain. He might also move to England to Arsenal or maybe their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Hakan Calhanoglu
The 22-year-old German-born Turkish international is currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen. Joining from Hamburger in 2014, he has played a crucial role with Leverkusen. Central attacking midfielder being his natural position, he can also play on either wing.
Leverkusen is in 4th place now, just a point behind surprise package Hertha Berlin. With still no guarantee of Champions League football, I think the youngster will consider his options and look at the offers which come for him in the summer.
He is a complete attacking player and the big clubs don’t waste time to sign such versatile players. Even though the Turk is currently in a dispute with FIFA over his previous contract with Trabzonspor, he will be allowed to play.
Calhanoglu was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in January 2016. Those rumours are still alive as the summer transfer window approaches. It’s not just Manchester United, but many top clubs are eyeing this young, upcoming talent.
