Hoffenheim lose another key forward

After just losing Sandro Wagner, Hoffenheim have let another forward leave the club

Bayern Munich wasted no time in snatching up Sandro Wagner from Hoffenheim. The inform German striker was very impressive for both club and country and Bayern was in need of a backup for Lewandowski.

This was a big blow to the Hoffenheim attack, and now, another German giant is swooping in to purchase another forward.

Schalke 04 has signed Mark Uth, the leading scorer at Hoffenheim, to a four-year deal for this summer, according to BeinSports. This transfer is even more devastating for Julian Nagelsmann’s side. Wagner was a great asset to have up top, but Uth brought something to Hoffenheim that made them such a dangerous team to come up against.

Uth has been vital to Hoffenheim’s success this season. The club is in seventh in the Bundesliga, but one win could see them jump up to third. Throughout the year, Uth has been the catalyst for his team. He has scored 12 goals in all competitions and is a real threat everytime he is on the pitch.

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The move is very questionable from a Hoffenheim perspective. Having just sold Wagner, losing Uth will leave them with just a few forward options. The obvious decision is to give Serge Gnabry much more playing time for the rest of the year. Though he is just on loan, Gnabry is willing to make his move to Hoffenheim permanent, so this is a perfect situation for him.

For Schalke, they are getting a dynamic forward they can use to help they stay in the top three of the Bundesliga. The clubs leading goal scorer, Guido Burgstaller, should benefit greatly once Uth steps on the pitch. The two forwards will play off each other, similar to how Uth played off Wagner.

In the end, it seems that Schalke got the better deal. Though they are not getting Uth until the summer, Schalke are setting themselves up nicely for a strong 2018/2019 season. The club is playing very well this season and will hope to use Uth in their Champions League campaign.

For Hoffenheim, they will need to be aggressive in the transfer window if they hope to replace the two forwards they have lost. Nagelsmann is a great coach, and has shown his abilities in recent seasons, so there should not be much doubt surrounding the club.