In Germany, most of the attention of the summer has been on Bayern Munich's and Borussia Dortmund's reconstruction. Dortmund trying to keep up with Bayern, and Bayern trying to get younger and rebrand all at the same time as they lose legends of the club such as Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Mats Hummels. While Dortmund tries to keep up with Bayern, Bayern is trying to keep up with the elite European clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Juventus.
One club not on the radar of many is VfL Wolfsburg. The club was devastated last several seasons due to a emissions-cheating scandal at the car manufacture Volkswagon that cost it's owners over $5.5 billion in penalties. The scandal forced the owners to put the club on the back burner and focus on the legal on-goings. Despite all odds against them, Wolfsburg survived relegation by winning in the relegation playoff match in back to back seasons.
Now, the car company is back on it's feet operating like they did prior to the scandal, and as a result, the football club is back from survival mode to setting it's eyes on a top 4 finish in the German bundesliga. Last season, Wolfsburg was finally able to spend some money and not worry about cutting cost at every corner. As a result, they finished a surprising 6th, even when the biggest optimists would say they would finish no higher then tenth.
This summer Wolfsburg has turned it up a notch. Adding more quality players to areas of weakness, while not losing anyone of importance. First, they hired impressive Austrian coach Oliver Glasner. The up and comer is seen as a players coach, such like a Jurgen Klopp, who plays with a lot of pace and attractive offensive football. To help him adjust to the new challenge, he has brought over from LASK Linz, where he had been coaching, his goal scoring machine, 25 year old Brazilian, Joao Victor. The small, quick, lethal goal-scorer, should be a perfect match to play alongside Dutch striker Wout Weghorst, who is coming off a breakout 17-goal season a year ago. They'll be joined by Maximillian Phillip from Dortmund. Phillip only scored one goal last season, but has loads of potential and speed. Just two seasons ago, he scored 9 in his first season in Dortmund where he was touted as a major addition. Twenty-one year old offensive winger Josip Brekalo is expected to continue his impressive development and build on his game from a year ago. He is a candidate for breakout player of the year.
With his offense set, Glasner put a lot of his focus on defense. They weren't only going to rely on Josuha Guilavogui, Jerome Roussillon or John Anthony Brooks next season. Last season, Wolfsburg allowed 50 goals, second most of any team in the top-9. The club went and added Paulo Otavio, a quick wing back who can move forward, and Kevin Mbabu, a feisty right back from Switzerland with good size and good ball movement. But no move may be more important then signing Glasner's countryman Xaver Schlager from RB Salzburg. The nifty midfielder can play any position in the midfield, who brings a high football-IQ with him, excellent passing skills and dribbling skills that make him a possession-winning machine. He's a player that will help you with the ball but also help you defensively, as he has a good takeaway ratio and once he wins the ball, it is hard for him to lose it. A player that is able to play well under high-pressure. Schlager has everything to become the next big talent to come from Salzburg.
While Bayern and Dortmund are still the cream of the crop in the bundesliga, there is now several clubs chasing and closing the gap between third and the top two. And VfL Wolfsburg are becoming one of those clubs who is joining the race to catch up with the two German giants.
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