Werder Bremen now prepared to accept €25m for German defensive talent Karim Coulibaly

Werder Bremen now prepared to accept €25m for German defensive talent Karim Coulibaly Sport Bild reports Werder Bremen have reportedly lowered their asking price for highly-rated centre-back Karim Coulibaly as the Bundesliga club continue waiting for a concrete offer for the 19-year-old. According to the tabloid, Bremen entered the summer transfer window demanding approximately €40m for the Germany youth international. That valuation appears to have discouraged potential suitors. Werder would now reportedly be prepared to enter negotiations for an offer between €25m and €30m. Despite the substantial reduction, no concrete bid for Coulibaly has yet arrived. The defender therefore travelled with the Bremen squad to their second training camp in Harsewinkel on Monday and remains part of the club’s preparations for the new Bundesliga campaign. Werder lower demands for Karim Coulibaly Coulibaly’s transfer value has risen dramatically since he first broke into Bremen’s senior side last season. Get German Football News covered the defender’s sensational first Bundesliga start against Bayer Leverkusen last August. After an early mistake contributed to Patrik Schick’s opening goal, Coulibaly recovered impressively and ultimately scored Bremen’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer in a 3-3 draw. Then-head coach Horst Steffen described the teenager’s redemption as an “incredible story”. Coulibaly subsequently established himself in the starting XI. By October, GGFN documented the defender’s rapid development and sharp rise in market value . His estimated value increased from approximately €1m to €8m as clubs from England, Italy and Portugal began monitoring his progress. Steffen and sporting director Clemens Fritz both publicly praised Coulibaly’s development at the time. Foreign interest emerged during breakthrough campaign The transfer speculation became more concrete the following month. GGFN reported Eintracht Frankfurt’s interest in Coulibaly after the youngster had started nine consecutive Bundesliga fixtures. Burnley and clubs from Italy and Portugal were also linked with the centre-back. Coulibaly subsequently developed into an important component of Bremen’s defence before a hamstring injury interrupted his progress during the second half of the campaign. The teenager also made his Germany U21 debut during the March international break. Bremen still need transfer income Werder are under no contractual pressure to sell. Coulibaly remains tied to the club through 2029, giving Bremen considerable leverage should serious interest eventually materialize. Financial considerations nevertheless provide an incentive for a major sale. Bremen still require additional transfer income before they can complete several of their own planned squad reinforcements. The club remain active in multiple areas of the market and continue searching for additions ahead of the new season. A Coulibaly sale between €25m and €30m would therefore provide considerable additional room to manoeuvre. GGFN  |  Peter Weis