Defending has been a problem for Frankfurt in the early stages of the season, and it has been reported that they are interested in bringing in a central defender as well as a midfielder and striker in the winter window. 

Former 1.FC Köln defender Bisseck is said to be an option. Frankfurt had been interested in the 24-year-old before he moved to Inter in 2023. Die Adler have not lost contact with Bisseck and are now weighing up a move for him in the winter as the German has lost his place in the Inter 11. 

There have yet to be concrete talks over a move, and SGE are monitoring the situation before deciding to make a move for him in the winter. 

Frankfurt’s defensive problems:

Just before the international break, die Adler lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich. This means in their last four games in all competitions, they have conceded 16 goals, which is four goals per game. This type of defending is a lot closer to a relegation candidate than a team competing for European football. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan

Getting the 25-year-old central defender to extend his deal, which runs out next summer, is a top priority for Dortmund. However, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Liverpool keeping tabs on the German international, BVB are also preparing for the worst-case scenario. 

Premier League Replacement

BVB have identified Chelsea’s Axel Disasi as a potential replacement should Schlotterbeck leave next summer. 

The 27-year-old is surplus to requires at Chelsea and isn’t even training with the first team as it stands. Although Chelsea paid €45m for the Frenchman in 2023, he’ll be available for much less given the lack of playing time. What’s more, his €5m yearly salary is well within Dortmund’s financial range. 

Disasi has previously played under current BVB head coach Niko Kovač during his time at AS Monaco. Now, a reunion could be on the cards should Schlotterbeck leave, or even if Niklas Süle leaves the club when his deal also runs out in the summer of 2026. 

GGFN | Jamie Allen

There has been an onslaught of talk surrounding Wirtz following his slow start to his career at the Premier League champions following his €125m move from Bayer Leverkusen. 

Klopp on Liverpool’s summer signing:

Everyone continues to give their thoughts on the 22-year-old’s start to his time in England, from Julian Nagelsmann to Rudi Völler. Now, former Liverpool manager Klopp has weighed in on the current hot topic: 

“I don’t have to worry about Florian Wirtz because his quality is so outstanding. Of course, everything is fine, and everyone knows that. The discussion is certainly being blown out of proportion. Liverpool have just lost three games in a row – it’s unusual for something like that to happen after such a long time. But it’s also normal in life. That’s why these things are discussed. I’ve been in the middle of such discussions long enough now, and I can tell you: Nothing could interest people less than the public discussions that are taking place there. So it doesn’t matter, and everything will be fine. (Wirtz is) a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he’ll show that in every game again, as he did at Leverkusen. (He has) a stable environment at Liverpool, and the club is great in moments like these. If anyone’s worried—you don’t have to! You can stop.”

Wirtz’s slow Liverpool start:

The reason there is so much discussion surrounding Wirtz is because of the fact that he has yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League or Champions League. On top of Liverpool’s recent poor run of form, the 22-year-old has been used as a scapegoat for their problems, even though most of the Premier League champions’ problems are coming from other players in the team. 

Everyone familiar with Wirtz’s style of play knows that once it clicks, he will be fine. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan

Peretz’s comments when speaking to Israeli channel Sport 5 are actually rather curious as it was clearly stated that Peretz was meant to compete with regular HSV starter Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Peretz delivered an especially poor training camp with HSV and, as a result, was not tapped to even earn a start in Hamburg’s opening round cup fixture. 

“It’s obvious that I’m disappointed that I’m not playing in Hamburg,” Peretz told the Israeli broadcaster. “I didn’t expect not to be playing. It was actually clear that I would be playing. But the things that are happening right now are no longer under my control. I am responsible for my own behavior and conduct. Maybe there will be a change in January, because I really want to play.”

HSV sporting director Claus Costa has already responded to Peretz’s comments in an interview with transfermarkt.de. Costa reiterated that Peretz simply lost the training camp battler against Daniel Heuer Fernandes and denied that any specific promises had been made. 

“We offered him some prospects, but it was also completely clear that we already have an absolute top man in ‘Ferro’ [Heuer Fernades],” Costa said. “Up until the very end [of training camp], it was a really close race between the goalkeepers. The outcome is not satisfactory for him and his disappointment is understandable. Anything else would have surprised me.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

Nagelsmann found himself in hot water during last month’s international break after he made some arrogant comments about the state of Northern Irish football. As soon as his team completed their 4-0 win over Luxembourg in the first of the October international break’s qualifying fixtures, Nagelsmann attempted to speak more respectfully of his upcoming opponent.

“They’re a feisty team,” Nagelsmann said of the next nation his squad is due to face whilst speaking at the Friday post match press conference. “And then in Belfast with the fans, who are very emotional. It’ll be a different ball game than today.”

“There were some talk that I had badmouthed Northern Irish football, but I didn’t,” Nagelsmann added as he prepared to board a plane bound for the Isle on Sunday “I clearly stated that the long balls they play are extremely difficult to defend against.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

Woltemade was not among the players who scored in Friday night’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier. As the German national team prepares to head to Belfast for their second qualifying fixture of the October international break, there’s certainly some pressure on Woltemade’s shoulders. Nagelsmann has tapped Woltemade to lead the line as the lone starting centre forward in all five of his senior caps. 

“Nick just has to keep at it,” Nagelsmann remarked at a Sunday press conference before his team boarded their flight. “He’s on a good run at Newcastle, he’s scored several times there. He’ll score for us too. It may take another five games before he scores, or six or seven, but that’s not so bad. He’ll score eventually, and then he’ll score a few more times.” 

After Germany suffered an upset loss against Slovakia during the September international break, Woltemade was among the players booed in Köln following a weak first half against Northern Ireland in the second qualifying match. The German game didn’t truly pick up until Woltemade was subbed off in the 61st-minute.

Nagelsmann made clear he supported Woltemade in spite of the poor reception. Woltemade drew some whistles in Sinsheim on Friday when he missed an early chance. Oftentimes looking sluggish upon his return from a flu-like infection, German fans in the stands Woltemade’s fitness issues as a chance to register their discontent with his decision to depart the Bundesliga. 

“We don’t have to worry about the nature of the [footballing business],” Nagelsmann said when commenting on the Friday scenes during a Sunday press round. “We just have to get stuck in.”

GGFN | Peter Weis

Kicker reports on the absence of Schade and Atubolu. The former was called up to replace Leweling, but will still not receive a chance to earn his first cap in nearly a year. Atubolu’s playing prospects as the fourth choice keeper behind Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann, Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel, and Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen were always slim. 

Atubolu earned a late call up due to the fact that Baumann was struggling with injury. Baumann nevertheless recovered in time to feature for the full 90 minutes in Friday night’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg in the Sinsheim-based stadium of his Bundesliga club. Schade did not make Julian Nagelsmann’s matchday selection. 

Nagelsmann’s team to Belfast on Sunday accompanied by the Germany U21s, who will also be contesting qualifying fixture for the 2027 U21 European Championship at the Belfast Oval on Tuesday. Antonio Di Salvo’s DFB Juniors weren’t as successful as Nagelsmann’s crew on Friday night, dropping their qualifying match against the Greek U21s.

GGFN | Peter Weis

While there theoretically remains plenty of time for the two sides to come to terms, Upamecano’s contract status leaves him free to negotiate a free transfer to another club as soon as the January transfer window opens in less than three months’ time. Bayern will have to begin contemplating a January sale of the centre-back in order to avoid losing him on a free.

Upamecano has started seven of eight competitive fixtures thus far this year for the German record champions. The 26-year-old – presently valued at €50m – has also started and gone the full 90 minutes for the French national team in his country’s last three World Cup Qualifying fixtures. 

Given that Bayern possess a qualified central defensive duo in the form of Kim-min Jae and Jonathan Tah (plus the injured Hiroki Ito) a January sale may be contemplated. Plettenberg reports that Premier League Champions Liverpool remain very interested in Upamecano’s services. 

The defeat constituted the first loss for the German U21s in a qualifying match in nearly four years. Way back at the beginning of Di Salvo’s tenure, the U21s fell 0-4 to Poland at the WirMachenDruck Arena in Aspach on November 11th, 2021. Since then, despite a disappointing 2023 Euros and some defeats in friendlies, Di Salvo’s youngsters went 16 qualifying fixtures without a defeat.

The search for answers was on following the Friday loss. The fact that Di Salvo’s selection remains injury-ridden certainly didn’t help. In addition to the four players who have officially departed DFB camp, Southampton centre-back Joshua Quarshie (a regular starter) was unable to play on Friday. Two players Di Salvo called up late – Eintracht Frankfurt’s Elias Baum and Dynamo Dresden’s Julian Pauli – have also had to leave camp injured. 

Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof – another eagerly anticipated U21 debutant – was given the captain’s armband and did register an assist on Tom Rothe’s 2-2 equalizer. The rising FCB midfield talent nevertheless lamented the team’s sloppy start when conducting his post-match interview with ProSieben MAXX. Di Salvo, too, referenced errors in his own interview. 

“We have to be present from the very first minute onward and have enough balls to play forward,” Bischof told the German broadcaster. “We were simply afraid to play the ball forward. The spaces were too big. We should have closed down the field more. If we had done that, it would have been a better game more like the victory we envisioned.”

“I warned them [the team] about the Greeks,” Di Salvo added. “We made too many simple mistakes. Then the mistakes pile up because your confidence drops. We cannot afford any more mistakes or slip ups.“

Seimen’s goalkeeping error was emblematic of the entire error-strewn first half that simply didn’t work. Poor marking off a free-kick in the 13th enabled Konstantinos Kostoulas to score the opening goal. Less than a minute later Seimen fumbled a back-pass in front of the onrushing Stefanos Tzimas. The former Nürnberg striker collected the ball and then proceeded to out-deke Seimen for the 14th-minute 0-2. 

The clearly rattled German hosts made several more embarrassing amateurish errors before the half was out. Seimen recovered a bit to make some quality saves, but was himself spared further blushes by some lucky bounces and tight offside decisions. Seimen and the rest of the DFB defensive ranks looked out-of-sorts on Dimitris Rallis’ match-winning 2-3 in the 81st minute.

The 19-year-old Seimen certainly didn’t look like someone capable of challenging Werder Bremen keeper Mio Backhaus’ hold on the Germany U21 No. 1 slot. The current SC Paderborn loanee also almost certainly didn’t look like the net-minder his parent club VfB Stuttgart have earmarked to replace No. 1 Alexander Nübel next season.

“Of course, I’m extremely aggravated about it,” Seimen said of his mistake in the mixed zone on Friday night. “But it’s happened now and I have to put it behind me. I just thought I could kick the ball away. I’m pretty disappointed, but life goes on.“

“He knows full well that he made a mistake and there’s no escaping that,” Di Salvo added at the post-match press conference. “Logically, he had to clear the ball [out into touch], but I’m annoyed at how it came to that back pass. We simply played back unnecessarily.

“Mistakes are part of football and it happens,” Di Salvo was then sure to emphasize. “I will talk to him and build him back up, just as Klaus Thomforde [the goalkeeping coach] will. It happened. We will put it behind us. It’s all the more reason to pull together and do better [against Northern Ireland] on Tuesday.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

After Germany took some time to unlock the Northern Irish defense en-route to a 3-1 victory, Nagelsmann accused his guests of playing “boring and optically dull football characterized by long balls“. Famous veterans of the Northern Irish team shot back. Former Northern Irish wide man Chris Brunt, for example, noted that he didn’t know his country was under any obligation to play beautiful football for Nagelsmann. 

O’Neill took his turn two days ahead of the re-match. 

“Germany also played a lot of long balls,” O’Neill is quoted as saying in a BBC piece. “It’s not my job to prepare my team for the other coach coming here and beating us. It’s my job to set up my team in such a way that it’s as difficult as possible for the opponent, and that’s exactly what we’ll do again.” 

The BBC piece notes that Nagelsmann’s loose lips have furnished some “extra motivation” for the hosts. The Green-Whites can actually head into Monday’s encounter feeling quite confident. Thus far in the October international break, the Norn Iron easily vanquished Slovakia; the team that beat Germany convincingly back in September. 

O’Neill’s team have not lost at home in their last seven fixtures. Teams that have stumbled in Belfast include highly ranked Switzerland and Denmark. Germany themselves continue to stumble and can’t exactly declare themselves back on track despite a 4-0 home win over Luxembourg. Nagelsmann’s team were able to go up 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 21st-minute thanks to a Dirk Carlson handball penalty. 

Carlson’s infraction also saw him sent off on a straight red card. Germany thus played the final 68 minutes a man up, often looking disorganized and only scoring two goals in quick succession after the restart. The hosts could only produce four goals out of 31 shots and did very little with a whopping 84 percent possession. 

As Nagelsmann himself put it at a pre-match press conference ahead of the Luxembourg game, sputtering Germany “cannot afford to take any opponent lightly”. The contention in the German press remains that one more loss can and should spell the end of Nagelsmann’s coaching regime. Such an outcome could still come as early as Monday. 

GGFN | Peter Weis