Werder Bremen are increasingly unlikely to sign Leeds United defender Isaac Schmidt on a permanent deal this summer. The Bundesliga club are cooling on their €3m purchase option after a disappointing loan spell.
BILD have comments from the Werder director Clemens Fritz today in an article covering the 26-year-old’s disappointing season in Germany.
Schmidt joined the Bundesliga club on loan from Leeds in the summer. They fought to get a deal done for the full back, eventually securing a deal with ‘favourable terms’.
He was supposed to be an ‘exciting back up’ for the club but the match up has not been a success story. Despite significant personnel problems at left-back, Schmidt has failed to secure a starting spot under former coach Horst Steffen of Daniel Thioune.
January signing leaves Schmidt third choice
Now his situation has worsened. Olivier Deman arrived in the January transfer window and has pushed ahead of Schmidt, leaving him third in the pecking order.
The likelihood of Werder exercising their €3m purchase option is ‘dwindling’ as a result. Fritz has indicated as much, ‘playing for time’ when asked about Schmidt’s future.
“It’s too early to say whether and how things will continue in the summer,” he said.
“We value Isaac highly for his versatility. His intensity and tenacity give every coach a good feeling.”
The hope is that the Leeds loanee might experience a late rise. That’s already been achieved by fellow loan teammate Cameron Puertas, who has gone from benchwarmer to starting 11.
Replacement lined up for Leeds United player
The future is not looking bright, though. Particularly as Werder Bremen are already looking at alternatives. According to BILD, they’ve already sent a ‘ready-to-sign’ offer to Hertha Berlin’s Michal Karbownik. He would be the logical successor to the Leeds United man.
The disappointing year has continued a poor run for Schmidt. He only joined them in search of playing time after managing just 71 minutes for Leeds last season in the Championship. His total was 251 minutes including two appearance in the FA Cup.
This season, the number is at 523 minutes across 15 appearances, But it’s far from what he or Werder were hoping for. Indeed, he’s hinted he wants the move to be made permanent.
With Werder Bremen already exploring alternatives at left‑back, Leeds United are now likely to be planning for Isaac Schmidt’s return in the summer. That’s unless a late revival changes his situation in Germany.
