Not long after rumours began surfacing regarding Scottish striker Oliver Burke’s move from Werder Bremen to Union Berlin, Bremen issued a statement confirming Burke’s departure. Burke’s new Bundesliga club have not formally introduced him as a new signing yet. His current top flight side nevertheless let it be known that the 28-year-old would leave on a free after the season.
Werder managing director Clemens Fritz candidly admitted that Burke accepted a better offer from the German capital city’s Köpenick side. Just three days ago, the current Bremen starter professed his love for the Hanseatic city state club.This obviously did not negate the fact that Burke wasn’t prepared to accept a hefty pay cut in the offer tendered toward him. Fritz saw fit to concede this immediately.
“Apparently, there is an offer that is significantly higher than ours both fiscally and in terms of duration,” Fritz’s statement read. “We would have liked to keep him here. Especially after we matched the player’s previously expressed expectations with our offer and took into account his strong performances in recent weeks in our last rounds of negotiations.”
Fritz’s statement went on to note that the club was “convinced Burke will give everything for Werder” in the final spurt for European qualification. Kicker journalist Tim Lüddecke isn’t so certain. In an editorial appearing on the German magazine’s website, Lüddecke questions how precisely this will work over the final four matchdays.
“What (negative) impact will Burke’s decision have on the rest of the season, in which the club’s chances of qualifying for Europe are greater than they have been for a long time?,” Lüddecke posits in his editorial. “Will his [starting] status remain unchanged following his move? And how will the fans react on Sunday in the home game against FC St. Pauli? What will happen on the next matchday, when Werder visit, of all teams, Union Berlin?“
GGFN | Peter Weis
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