Borussia Mönchengladbach stands alone among Bundesliga clubs in recording a negative market-value trend over the past ten years. The squad that was worth €166 million in September 2016, and peaked at €310 million in 2020, has now fallen to €154 million — a decline of 7.2 percent. Only fallen giants Schalke 04, now outside the top flight, suffered a steeper drop. The erosion was fuelled by a combination of an overpriced squad inherited from former sporting director Max Eberl, the free-transfer exits of Champions League-calibre players such as Matthias Ginter and Marcus Thuram, and the financial shock of the pandemic. Yet while traditional rivals like Hamburg, Köln and Hertha BSC experienced relegation during the same period, Gladbach avoided that worst-case scenario.

Now, under new sporting boss Rouven Schröder, the club is attempting a disciplined turnaround. In the winter window, Schröder trimmed €4.5 million from the wage bill and personally brokered some outgoing deals to save on agent fees. Ahead of the post-World Cup summer market, he moved early, signing seven new professionals for a combined €9.5 million — none are established stars, but all arrive on low base salaries with performance-linked bonuses and are seen as possessing resale potential. The sales of Rocco Reitz to Leipzig for €20 million and Winsley Boteli to Sion, along with savings on high earners, generated up to €25 million, though much of that is directed at servicing ongoing costs. The coaching staff has also been reshaped: Markus Gellhaus arrives from Hansa Rostock to oversee training planning, while Jan-Moritz Lichte joins from Manchester City’s academy to focus on player development, supporting head coach Eugen Polanski.

Elsewhere in Germany, the summer rebuilds are taking different forms. Newly promoted Energie Cottbus opened their 2. Bundesliga preparations by inviting former HSV goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck to train with the squad, with coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz describing the 31-year-old as a “very exciting” option to compete with incumbent Marcel Lotka. Wollitz also confirmed contact with free-agent defender John Brooks, though both Brooks and another candidate, Leon Guwara, must first prove their fitness after injury troubles. In the Regionalliga, champions Lok Leipzig are in advanced negotiations to sign striker Ricky Bornschein, who fought his way back from a publicised cancer battle to make 30 third-division appearances for Erzgebirge Aue last season.

In Iran, Tractor SC are reinforcing their defence for a campaign that includes the AFC Champions League Elite. With Serbian centre-back Aleksandar Sedlar set to depart, the Tabriz-based club has moved close to a deal with Mohammad Daneshgar, who left Sepahan after failing to agree a reduced contract. Daneshgar also held talks with Esteghlal, but transfer restrictions and budget uncertainties there have pushed him towards Tractor. An alternative target, Foolad’s Ali Nemati, had preliminary discussions before the World Cup, but his pursuit will be shelved if Daneshgar signs.

Across the Atlantic, the World Cup itself is intersecting with the transfer market. Mexican full-back Jorge Sánchez, currently with the national team at the tournament, has authorised a move back to Liga MX with Atlas. The Guadalajara club has submitted a formal offer to PAOK of Greece, where Sánchez played in the Super League and Europa League after leaving Cruz Azul. The 28-year-old featured for 90 minutes against South Korea in the group stage, having previously accumulated experience at Ajax, Porto and América. With negotiations advancing, his European chapter appears close to concluding. For Gladbach, the immediate task is to prove that the new cost-conscious model can reverse a decade-long decline; for Sánchez, a return to Mexican soil would cap a journey that spanned four countries and two continents.