Hoffenheim’s Mërgim Berisha turns down chance to join Hertha | OneFootball

Kicker reports that Hoffenheim striker Mërgim Berisha has personally declined a chance to move to 2. Bundesliga outfit Hertha BSC. The capital city club’s interest in the former German national team striker eventually yielded a formal offer, which Berisha rejected. Kicker also claims that Berisha also recently turned down a chance to join former Hoffenheim, Hamburg, and Köln head coach Markus Gisdol at Turkish first division side Kayserispor.

Where Berisha might be headed now remains uncertain. Hoffenheim continue to seek a taker for one of the players they have no use for ahead of the coming Bundesliga campaign. Hertha – following the capture of Werder Bremen’s Dawid Kownacki – were hopeful of acquiring two strikers with Bundesliga experience. Hertha head coach Stefan Leitl openly appealed to Berisha to join the Charlottenburg side to no avail.

Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker has largely delivered on his recent promise to trim the Kraichgau club’s oversized 39-man-squad. The confirmed sale of striker/winger Marius Bülter to FC Köln yesterday cut Hoffenheim’s squad down to 32 professionals. The Sinsheimers also provided an additional morale boost on Friday by confirming a contract extension for keeper and captain Oliver Baumann.

Multiple German footballing media sources report that Bülter’s sensational sale to Köln was completed for only €1m. The popular 32-year-old attacker was certainly worth more than that to Hoffenheim last season as the team contested the relegation race. Bülter’s seven league goals and four assists went a long way towards ensuring that the TSG avoided the drop.

“Right from the first inquiry, I thought it could be a good fit,” Bülter noted in his Köln-released-statement yesterday. “The talks were very good, and of course I’ve played here a few times before. The stadium with its atmosphere is great. So the whole package was right for me. When I drove over the Rhine bridge on Wednesday evening, it was really special. I’m really looking forward to coming to Köln.”

GGFN | Peter Weis