January 2025 Transfer Primer: FSV Mainz 05 | OneFootball

FSV Mainz 05

Estimated Autumn Transfer Balance = +€27.5 million

Heading into the new calendar year, Bo Henriksen's Rheinhessen qualify as the biggest surprise of the current Bundesliga table. A sluggish start to the campaign spawned the talking point that Henriksen's over-the-top "master motivator" styleleft this team too tactically deficient and ill-disciplined to compete at this level. The nadir came when October drew to a close with a "Halloween Pokal Massacre" at the hands of FC Bayern München. From this nadir, however, developments as odd and unpredictable as Henriksen himself proceeded to unfold.

Mainz lost only one of the seven league fixtures contested in November and December. The defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg felt most undeserved as the Palatinate side were unquestionably the better team. The Universe's Karmic forces then appeared to be at work when 2024 wrapped up with shorthanded Mainz defeating Frankfurt in one of the strangest top-tier German fixtures ever. The latest win enabled Henriksen's Pfälzer to pull themselves all the way up to fifth place in the table. They face Bochum and Leverkusen before the season reaches its official halfway point.

The team's surge is most unexpected when one considers the Summer losses of key actors such as Leandro Barreiro and Brajan Gruda. Henriksen's proved himself in possession of the proper touch in building his new midfield around new arrival Kaishu Sano. The head-coach's ability to fashion an exceptionally strong back-three out of Stefan Bell, Maxim Leitsch, and Danny da Costa borders on the insane. A new-look Paul Nebel excels in attack. Bayern loanee Armindo Sieb didn't appear ready for prime time at first, but Henriksen definitely had him well prepared to make the most of his more recent chance.

When one takes into account the state of this club at this point last year, the club administrative staff look like miracle workers. Naturally, luck factored in as well. The FSV administrative duo of Christian Heidel and Martin Schmidt made by far the dumbest head-coaching decision of any top flight side last year when they opted to double down on trainer Jan Siewert. Luckily for them, SpVgg Greuther Fürth's decision to install Siewert as their head-coach this year lets them off the hook for a potentially costly mistake.

Dead-Weight Ledger = Nikolas Veratschnig (RB), Maxim Dal (CB)

Schmidt's resignation from his post as sporting director this past Summer leaves us with the front office duo of Heidel and Niko Bungert in charge for the second consecutive window. This regime unquestionably did a fabulous job shoring up the squad in the Summer. Wherever there happened to be a deficiency (at left-wing or right wingback to take a pair of examples), Henriksen took care of the rest. Anthony Caci switched over to work as right back whilst Jae-Sung Lee and Philipp Mwene tag-team the left attacking flank.

Summer signing Nikolas Vertschnig has barely featured at all and should probably be parked elsewhere. The same applies to Germany U17 World Champion Maxim Dal, a player who Henriksen has voiced respect for but has no real prospects in the FSV first team yet. Two loan-outs would cut the active roster down to 23, making room for perhaps as much as three more signings on the payroll. Sadly, captain Silvan Widmer technically counts as "dead-weight" at this juncture as well. One obviously can't move the skipper.

Expiring contracts = Daniel Batz (GK), Aymen Barkok (ATTM), Nelson Weiper (CF)

Strange as it may sound, total flop Aymen Barkok has generated some interest from of the smaller league's in Europe. Bungert and Heidel would love nothing more than to rid themselves of the Moroccan, perhaps even going so far as cut their losses with half-pennies on the dollar. The rumor mills remain quiet with respect to the curious case of Germany U21 international Nelson Weiper; a potential-laden player whom plenty of clubs would love to pick up.

Further Needs =  LB, CB, RB, LW, CF

Bungert and Heidel can comfortably rest on their laurels once they procure perhaps one more central defender, a natural right back, and an attacker versatile enough to be plugged in anywhere up front in the event of an emergency. The exceedingly impressive Summer transfer surplus - which included not only the €31 million Gruda sale but also nearly €7 million for attacking flops Delano Burzorg and Ludovic Ajorque - must, as always, be taken in the context of the financial limits of this club.

Mainz aren't a terrible local draw, but do rarely sell out their own arena. This year, the FSV join Leipzig and Hoffenheim as the only two German top tier clubs to have sold out only one home match. Most of the merchandising revenue revolves around the carnival-themed attire; a situation in which the losses from the pandemic still sting. Nine years outside of Europe also leave the club administrators short of the performance/television revenue to borrow against the future.

Rumored Links =  Taha Altikardes (CB), Daniel Elfadli (DM), Kaly Séne (CF)