Rieke moves to Rome, Bayer loans Kovar

• Rieke von Essen to AS Roma
• Bayer Leverkusen loans Kovar to PSV
• Ticker: All transfers and changes of the NRW clubs

Goalkeeper Matej Kovar (25) is leaving German runner-up Bayer Leverkusen and joining PSV Eindhoven on loan. If "certain criteria are met," according to a statement from the Rhineland club, the Dutch champions are obligated to purchase the Czech. Kovar's contract with Leverkusen runs until June 30, 2027.

Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln has brought back Polish international Weronika Zawistowska from double-winner Bayern Munich. The 25-year-old attacker, who previously played for FC Köln from 2021 to 2023, signed a contract until June 30, 2027. Zawistowska most recently played for Poland at the European Championship in Switzerland.

Midfielder Annalena Rieke is leaving SGS Essen and moving to Italian club AS Roma. According to the club, the 26-year-old is fulfilling a lifelong dream. "I am very grateful that AS Roma saw their request as a unique opportunity for me and made this step possible," said Rieke.

VfL Bochum and Agon Elezi have mutually agreed to terminate his contract. The 24-year-old North Macedonian joined Bochum in January 2024 and has since played in only one DFB Cup match.

Viktoria Köln has strengthened its attacking squad with the signing of Leander Popp. The 20-year-old joins on a one-year loan from SpVgg Greuther Fürth.

Before starting their training camp in Brazil, Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen has signed Malik Tillman from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. The 23-year-old US international has signed a contract until 2030.

Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen has signed another young striker. The Rhinelanders are strengthening their attacking lineup with the signing of 18-year-old Christian Kofane from Spanish second division club Albacete Balompié. The club announced that the Cameroonian has signed a contract until June 30, 2029.

Bayer's sporting director Simon Rolfes describes Kofane as an "extremely powerful and fast striker." "He will add even more variety to our game," Rolfes said. Kofane scored eight goals in 20 matches for the Spanish club after the winter break.

Second division club Arminia Bielefeld is losing one of its promotion heroes. Louis Oppie is leaving Arminia and joining Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli. The club announced this on Friday. The transfer fee for the 23-year-old was kept confidential.

The undisputed regular in Bielefeld made 71 third-division appearances for Arminia over two years, scoring seven goals. He contributed two goals and one assist to Bielefeld's fairytale run to the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart (2:4).

Third-division club Viktoria Köln has signed a new defender. Verthomy Bobby, a native of Cologne, joins Höhenberg from Belgian first-division club Standard Liège. Bobby impressed the club as a guest player in friendlies against SC Wiedenbrück and Bonner SC.

"We are very pleased that Verthomy has chosen us. He has made a strong impression in training – he also fits in very well with our team on a personal level. Therefore, we wish him, and of course us, that he takes the next step, continues to develop with us, and helps us further in our sporting careers," said Cologne sporting director Stephan Küsters.

Second-division football club Fortuna Düsseldorf continues to aggressively rebuild its squad for the upcoming season. Last season's sixth-place finisher strengthens its attack with Christian Rasmussen from Ajax Amsterdam, its eighth signing. The Danish U21 international has been signed permanently; as usual, the club has not disclosed the length of his contract.

Rasmussen (22) made a total of 22 appearances for Ajax last season in league, Europa League, and cup matches. Previously, the left-footer, who can play on the right wing or as a number 10, was on loan to Danish first division club FC Nordsjælland for a year.

1. FC Köln has loaned Jaka Cuber Potocnik to third-division club Rot-Weiss Essen for the upcoming season. The 20-year-old Slovenian will "take the next steps in his development" at RWE, the Cologne club announced. "It's crucial for Jaka that he gains match practice week after week. He's now outgrown our U21 team, while his chances of playing time in the Bundesliga are still limited," explained Lukas Berg, Cologne's technical director.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has completed its goalkeeping trio with the signing of Marcel Lotka from Borussia Dortmund. The 24-year-old will wear the number one jersey for the Rhinelanders; the club has not disclosed the length of his contract.

Striker Damion Downs has rejected a contract extension offer from newly promoted Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln and is moving to Southampton in the English second division. The club announced this on Wednesday. Sporting director Thomas Kessler spoke of a favorable financial framework for the transfer. A transfer fee of eight million euros plus bonuses, which could amount to more than two million euros, is rumored.

Arminia Bielefeld has strengthened its squad with the signing of Florian Micheler from TSG Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old midfielder will join the squad on a one-year loan and will begin training this Wednesday. Both clubs have agreed not to disclose the loan details.

"Florian is a very talented, versatile central midfielder who, despite his young age, possesses strategic skills and, with his game intelligence and ball control, fits perfectly with us. He is ready to take the next step in his development. We are convinced that he has the potential to assert himself in the 2. Bundesliga and are delighted that he has chosen us," said Sporting Director Michael Mutzel, describing the new signing.

Arminia Bielefeld has signed attacking all-rounder Marvin Mehlem. The 27-year-old joins the newly promoted side from English second division club Hull City and is scheduled to participate in Arminia's team training for the first time on Wednesday.

Third-division club Alemannia Aachen and Leandro Putaro are going their separate ways with immediate effect. Aachen announced that they have jointly decided to terminate his contract. The midfielder is moving to the capital city to join regional league club BFC Dynamo, where he was unveiled as a new signing on Monday. The 28-year-old only made ten competitive appearances for Aachen last season due to recurring injury problems.

Soumaïla Coulibaly is leaving Borussia Dortmund and returning to his homeland in France. As announced by BVB, the 21-year-old central defender is moving to Racing Strasbourg. He signed a contract with the Ligue 1 club until 2029. Coulibaly already played on loan in the French league with Stade Brest last season.

Ron-Robert Zieler is leaving second-division club Hannover 96 and returning to his youth club, 1. FC Köln. The 36-year-old goalkeeper has signed a two-year contract with the newly promoted Bundesliga club.

SC Preußen Münster has signed defender Marco Meyerhöfer. The 29-year-old was most recently under contract with SpVgg Greuther Fürth and joins the Hammer Straße club with 116 second-division and 26 first-division appearances to his name. Meyerhöfer will be on the training ground with his new teammates as early as Tuesday.

Defender Kevin Vogt is leaving Bundesliga club 1. FC Union Berlin and returning to his hometown after 13 years. The 33-year-old, born in Witten, has signed a contract with VfL Bochum until June 30, 2027, the club announced. Vogt trained at VfL and also played the first of his 353 Bundesliga matches there.

The former youth international has only been used sporadically at Union recently. The transfer details have not been disclosed.

Bundesliga newcomers 1. FC Köln have loaned Rasmus Carstensen out again. The 24-year-old full-back will play for Danish first division club Aarhus GF next season. The club also has an option to buy. Carstensen joined the Rhinelanders in the summer of 2023; in the second half of the last season, he was already on loan to Polish first division club Lech Poznan.

The Dane made 15 appearances for Poznan last season and won the Polish championship. Since joining Cologne, the right-footer has made 23 Bundesliga appearances and three appearances in the 2. Bundesliga.

Goalkeeper Tobias Sippel is staying with Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 37-year-old has extended his expiring contract by another year until 2026. The veteran will remain part of the goalkeeping team in the new season, while also being trained for his future role as youth goalkeeping coach. Sippel has worn the Borussia jersey since 2015 and has made a total of 26 competitive appearances for the Foals.

Bundesliga newcomer 1. FC Köln has signed midfielder Tom Krauß from league rivals FSV Mainz 05. Both clubs announced the deal on Saturday evening. The 24-year-old signed a one-year loan deal, with Cologne retaining an option to buy him for an undisclosed amount. Krauß has made 76 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig, Schalke, Mainz, and most recently on loan with relegated Bochum.

Jamie Gittens' transfer from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea FC is complete. The 20-year-old has signed a contract with the Premier League club until 2032, as the London club confirmed on Saturday after reaching the semifinals of the Club World Cup. The transfer fee, including potential bonuses, is said to be €65 million.

Polish international Jakub Kaminski is moving within the Bundesliga from VfL Wolfsburg to 1. FC Köln. Both clubs confirmed this. The 23-year-old winger will initially be loaned to the newly promoted side for one season, as both clubs announced this evening. Wolfsburg paid a transfer fee of ten million euros for Kaminski when he moved to Germany three years ago.

1. FC Köln has signed youth player Emin Kujovic to a professional contract. The deal runs until 2028. The Bundesliga club now plans to loan the 20-year-old for the upcoming season so he can gain "regular match practice at a high level." On Monday, the midfielder, who joined FC from Fortuna Köln in 2020, will begin his first professional training session.

After tough negotiations, Jamie Gittens will move from Borussia Dortmund to English Premier League club Chelsea. All parties involved agreed to this at the Club World Cup in Fort Lauderdale, the Bundesliga club announced. Contract details are still to be finalized, the club added.

The winger had already completed his medical with the Blues last weekend. However, the 20-year-old Englishman subsequently returned to Dortmund's team headquarters in Fort Lauderdale because the agreement was dragging on.

Goalkeeper Emilia Navarro has been playing for SGS Essen since 2018. The 17-year-old will be part of the professional squad for the first time next season. As the club announced on Thursday, Navarro has signed a contract for the Bundesliga squad.

"Emilia impressed us in the training sessions. She is very hardworking, eager to learn, and has a great character," said team manager Robert Augustin.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has loaned Greek international Sotiris Alexandropoulos. The midfielder is moving to Düsseldorf from traditional Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon for an initial season. Fortuna also secured a purchase option for the 23-year-old. "Sotiris is a typical box-to-box player and thus a further building block for driving our game forward from midfield with even greater dynamism," said Düsseldorf's sporting director Klaus Allofs.

RB Leipzig has secured the services of Max Finkgräfe. The 21-year-old left-back joins from newly promoted 1. FC Köln and has signed a long-term contract with the Saxon club until June 30, 2030. Finkgräfe has made 40 competitive appearances for the Cologne club over the past two seasons, including 24 in the Bundesliga (one goal).

Bayer Leverkusen has transferred its Bosnian U-19 international Kerim Alajbegovic to Red Bull Salzburg. The 17-year-old is expected to sign a long-term contract with the top Austrian club. Bayer has secured a buy-back option. The midfielder has already trained with the first team but has yet to make a competitive appearance for the first team.

Rot-Weiss Essen is strengthening its right-back position by loaning Jannik Hofmann from second-division club 1. FC Nürnberg. The 23-year-old was most recently loaned to VfB Stuttgart's reserve team for six months, appearing in 14 third-division matches.

Bayer Leverkusen has signed defender and U21 European champion Jarell Quansah from Liverpool FC. The 22-year-old signed a contract with the runners-up until June 30, 2030. Quansah will help fill the void left by international Jonathan Tah's move to FC Bayern Munich.

Attacker Benjamin Boakye is moving from VfB Stuttgart's reserve team to newly promoted second-division club Arminia Bielefeld. The 20-year-old is leaving the Swabian club after nine and a half years. Last season, the winger appeared in 32 third-division matches, scoring five goals, including a goal against his new club (3-0). A sporting highlight for him was his six-minute Champions League debut for VfB's first team against Red Star Belgrade.

"With his speed, his strengths in one-on-one situations and his dynamism, Benjamin can create goal-scoring opportunities in many situations and brings exactly what we want for our game," said sporting director Michael Mutzel in a statement from Bielefeld.

Second division club Schalke 04 has signed central defender Nikola Katic from FC Zurich. The 28-year-old was considered a preferred player by new coach Miron Muslic, who had previously worked with Katic at Plymouth Argyle.

Franci Bouebari is moving to third-division club Rot-Weiss Essen. The French left-back joins on loan from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg. Last season, he made 24 appearances for Freiburg's reserve team in the Regionalliga Südwest. "He's very dynamic, very strong in duels, and overall a true athlete," said RWE sporting director Marcus Steegmann.

Attacker Oliver Batista Meier will continue playing in the 2. Bundesliga even after SSV Ulm 1846's relegation. The 24-year-old is moving to SC Preußen Münster after six months in Ulm, as both clubs announced. Ulm announced that the Prussians exercised an exit clause in the attacker's contract, which he joined from Dynamo Dresden during the winter break.

SC Paderborn has lost another key player from last season. Left winger Aaron Zehnter is moving to Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. The 20-year-old joined Paderborn in January 2024 and contributed three goals and a whopping twelve assists last season. Zehnter signed a contract with Wolfsburg until 2030. The clubs did not disclose the transfer fee.

What began as a loan has now become a permanent move: Lukas Daschner and VfL Bochum 1848 are terminating their existing contract. The 26-year-old was already on loan to FC St. Gallen starting in January 2025 and is now joining the Swiss Super League club permanently. Both clubs have agreed not to disclose the transfer fee.

VfL has signed striker Ibrahim Sissoko from AS Saint-Ètienne. The attacker is almost easy to mistake for his namesake Ibrahima Sissoko, who plays in midfield for Bochum. No transfer fee was paid. VfL has extended the contract of regular goalkeeper Timo Horn. The 32-year-old's new contract runs until 2027.

Christian Viet, who played in 32 of a possible 34 second-division matches for SSV Jahn Regensburg last season, is moving to MSV Duisburg in Wedau. "At 26, Christian is an experienced player, having played more than 120 games in the second and third divisions. We're getting an absolutely top-notch addition, both in terms of character and athleticism – Chrille is a goal threat, but also works very well off the ball," said head coach Dietmar Hirsch.

Youssoufa Moukoko is leaving Borussia Dortmund and joining Danish champions FC Copenhagen. As BVB announced on Saturday, the 20-year-old striker will undergo his medical with his new employer today. BVB is also keeping an eye on Jamie Gittens, who is poised to move to Chelsea.

Serhat-Semih Güler is leaving third division club Viktoria Köln after just one year and is moving to SV Darmstadt 98 in the 2nd Bundesliga. The striker scored 19 goals in 40 competitive matches for the cathedral city club last season.

The Norwegian U23 international will remain with the Danish club after her six-month loan from Bayer Leverkusen to Bröndby IF. The twelve-time Danish champions have signed the midfielder permanently.

Bayer Leverkusen has secured the services of central defender Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese joins from Swedish first division club BK Häcken and signs a contract with Bayer until 2030.

Second-division football club SC Paderborn has signed attacker Lucas Copado. The 21-year-old joins Paderborn from Linzer ASK, most recently on loan to third-division club Energie Cottbus. Born in Munich, the player progressed through Bayern Munich's youth system from 2016 onward, making his professional debut and winning the German championship with a brief appearance in the 2021/2022 season.

Copado joined LASK last year. After six months with the Austrian first division club, he was loaned to Cottbus for a year in the summer of 2024, where Copado collected 13 points in 33 league games.

After Luca Raimund, Fortuna Düsseldorf announced their next new signing on Thursday (June 26, 2025): Anouar El Azzouzi comes from PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie.

The Dutch-born Moroccan is primarily at home in defensive midfield, but can also be deployed as a central defender or at number eight. Last season, he played 33 of 34 top-flight matches, all in the starting eleven (one goal).

VfL Bochum has strengthened its squad for the upcoming season with defender Romario Rösch. The left-back joins the relegated Bundesliga side on a free transfer from third-division club SSV Ulm on an initial one-year deal. Rösch (25) gained early international experience with Dutch first-division club Roda JC Kerkrade, for whom he made a total of 25 appearances in the 2019/20 season. His only Bundesliga appearance to date was for FSV Mainz 05 in 2021. He most recently spent three years under contract with Ulm.

Borussia Dortmund has signed Patrick Drewes from Bundesliga relegated side VfL Bochum. The goalkeeper signed a contract with BVB until 2027, the Westphalian club announced. According to media reports, the transfer fee is said to be between €200,000 and €300,000. Drewes will join the team of regular goalkeepers Gregor Kobel and Alexander Meyer.

FC Schalke 04 has signed goalkeeper talent Johannes Siebeking to a professional contract. The 19-year-old's contract with the second-division club is valid until June 30, 2029. Siebeking will form the goalkeeping team next season alongside regular goalkeeper Loris Karius, Justin Heekeren, and Luca Podlech, who also came through Schalke's youth system.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has strengthened its squad with Luca Raimund from VfB Stuttgart. The 20-year-old was unable to make it to the first team due to injury, but is considered a talented winger. Raimund has made three Bundesliga appearances for VfB and a total of twelve appearances for VfB's reserve team (one goal, two assists).

Former U-18 international Raimund still had a year left on his contract with Stuttgart, so Düsseldorf will have to pay a transfer fee. According to media reports, this is approximately €400,000. Düsseldorf has not provided any details on the transfer fee or contract term.

Viktoria Köln has acquired an attacking player. Yannick Tonye joins Cologne from Schalke 04's reserve team. The 20-year-old left winger made 21 appearances for the Royal Blues in the Regionalliga West last season (three goals, one assist).

MSV Duisburg has strengthened its squad for the upcoming third-division season with the signing of striker Tim Heike. He joins Wedau from future league rivals FC Ingolstadt. He made 30 appearances for Ingolstadt last season, scoring six goals.

Borussia Dortmund has loaned young talent Kjell Wätjen to Bundesliga relegated club VfL Bochum for the coming season. The 19-year-old midfielder, who most recently played for the German national team at the U19 European Championship, is expected to gain as much match practice as possible at Castroper Straße, according to BVB. A purchase option has explicitly not been agreed upon.

SC Verl continues to build its squad for the upcoming third-division season. 20-year-old defender Ethan Kohler joins on loan from Werder Bremen. Kohler made 26 appearances for Werder's reserve team in the Regionalliga Nord last season. Kohler has already made six appearances for the U20 national team of the United States.

Marc Richter is moving from the reserve team of 1. FSV Mainz 05 to Alemannia at the Tivoli. The 23-year-old is versatile in attacking positions. He made 78 appearances for Mainz in the Regionalliga Südwest, scoring twelve goals and providing eleven assists. He was sidelined by a cruciate ligament tear in May 2024, but has since fully recovered.

SC Preußen Münster has signed Swedish youth international Oscar Vilhelmsson from league rivals Darmstadt 98. The Westphalian club confirmed the transfer of the 21-year-old striker on Tuesday. However, they did not provide any further details on the transfer fee or contract term. Vilhelmsson joined the Hesse club from IFK Göteborg in 2022 and made a total of 55 appearances for the Lilies. The striker is Münster's fourth new signing.

Almost a year after the end of his loan, striker Marvin Obuz is returning to third-division club Rot-Weiss Essen. The 23-year-old is moving from 1. FC Köln to the Hafenstraße, as both clubs announced. His contract with the newly promoted Bundesliga team expired this summer.

"The strong support within the club and the passionate support of the fans are the optimal mix for me to be able to deliver good performances," said Obuz. Numerous fans have contacted him, expressing their wish for a comeback.

Bundesliga relegated VfL Bochum has signed top talent Owono-Darnell Keumo to a long-term contract. This will convert to a professional contract upon his 18th birthday on October 1, the club announced. The 17-year-old junior international currently plays for VfL's U19 team.

Third-division newcomers MSV Duisburg have unveiled two new players at the start of training: attacker Conor Noß (24 years old) and center back Ben Schlicke (19). Schlicke joins from SpVgg Unterhaching, while Noß joins on a free transfer from Austrian Bundesliga club FC Blau-Weiß Linz. Center back Franko Uzelac, however, will leave the club and join Sportfreunde Lotte.

Arminia Bielefeld has announced the departure of striker André Becker. The 28-year-old, who was signed by the East Westphalian club last year, will join future third-division club SSV Ulm next season. Becker scored two cup goals for Arminia in the first half of last season, and was loaned to third-division club Waldhof Mannheim in the second half.

Arminia strengthens its defense with Jonathan Vonheim Norbye. The 18-year-old central defender joins on loan from RB Leipzig. The Norwegian was most recently captain of Leipzig's U19 team and participated with the Norwegian U19 national team at the European Championships in Romania.

Second division club SC Paderborn has announced the signing of Ruben Müller from the U23 team of Bundesliga club SC Freiburg. The 19-year-old full-back, who made 32 appearances for the Breisgau club in the Regionalliga Südwest last season, scoring three goals, is the fifth signing for the former first division club.

Sportfreunde Siegen have signed goalkeeper Justin Ospelt for the upcoming season in the Regionalliga West. As the newly promoted team announced on Sunday, the 25-year-old Liechtenstein international goalkeeper is moving to Siegen from Southwest Regionalliga club FSV Frankfurt. Ospelt is already familiar with the Regionalliga West from a stint with KFC Uerdingen in the 2021/22 season.

Alemannia Aachen has secured the services of Joel da Silva Kiala. The 21-year-old central defender joins the Black and Yellows from Eintracht Frankfurt's U21 team. He made 29 appearances for the young Eagles in the Regionalliga Südwest last season, providing two assists. The young defender already has experience from 74 Regionalliga matches and has also made three appearances for the German U19 national team.

Midfielder Lino Tempelmann is leaving Schalke 04 and joining second-division rivals Eintracht Braunschweig permanently. The 26-year-old has been on loan for the Lower Saxony club since last winter break, where he played a key role in their team's survival. He signed a contract with Braunschweig until 2028. According to media reports, Schalke will receive a transfer fee of €300,000.

After weeks of negotiations, the record-breaking transfer is complete: Florian Wirtz is moving from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool FC. The 22-year-old has signed a "long-term" contract, as the Reds confirmed on Friday evening. According to media reports, the transfer fee is estimated to be around €150 million.

Prussia Münster has signed midfielder Marvin Schulz. The 30-year-old comes from the Bundesliga relegated Holstein Kiel. Since 2022 he played twelve first and 53 second division games for the storks. Schulz comes from Borussia Mönchengladbach's junior department, where he went through all youth teams up to the Bundesliga team. In August 2015 he celebrated his professional debut in the DFB Cup against FC St. Pauli, his Bundesliga debut a little later against Borussia Dortmund.

After four years with two climbs in a row and the recent relegation in the second division, the midfielder Thorben Deters (29) leaves SC Preußen Münster and returns to his home club SV Meppen to the Regionalliga Nord. For this purpose, his contract was terminated prematurely in Münster. In 2021, Deters moved from the then third division club VfB Lübeck to Münster. He had come to seven short missions last season. Most recently, he had had to pause for a shoulder surgery.

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