Bundesliga January 2026 Transfer Primers | 1. FC Union Berlin | OneFootball

The next of our 18 Bundesliga transfer primers to be published here on Get German Football News takes an in-depth look at 1. FC Union Berlin. In the case of “die Eisernen”, we’ve a big surprise to report on. A team projected to be contesting the relegation race finds itself stable in mid-table. Two figures – head coach Steffen Baumgart and managing director Horst Heldt – deserve an immense amount of credit for this. 

Interestingly enough, Heldt and Baumgart are finally receiving a chance to work together after just missing each other in Germany’s cathedral city. It was Heldt who recruited Baumgart to serve as head coach of 1. FC Köln shortly after die Geißböcke barely escaped relegation at the end of the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign. Hiring Baumgart nevertheless proved to be Heldt’s final act in the Köln front office. He was sacked days later. 

It took three years for another Bundesliga club to take a chance on Heldt. Union finally hired the former Köln, Schalke, Stuttgart, and Hannover 96 functionary in the summer of 2024 to take over for the since departed Oliver Ruhnert while Ruhnert focused on other things. Ruhnert got another chance to hire Baumgart in December of that year after the ill-fated head coaching regime of Bo Svensson. 

It’s taken nearly a year for Baumgart to finally shake Union out of the stolid tactics of newly appointed Mainz trainer Urs Fischer and imprint his stamp on the team. Baumgart’s “new look” Köpenickers are attack-oriented and courageous; at least in comparison to the squads of yore. It’s a genuine pleasure to look in on this team as they get set to clinch another year of Bundesliga football relatively early this year. 

1. FC Union Berlin

Winter Predictions Check, 1. FC Union Berlin

Predicted Table Position – 16th place

Actual Table Position – 8th place, 21 points

(6-W, 3-D, 6-L)

(-3 G-Diff)

Before the attack could really get rolling, Baumgart’s well-drilled charges picked up most of their goals on set-pieces. They actually remain capable of getting the ball in the back of the net via dead balls, as evidenced by the two separate occasions they pushed Bayern in the league and cup. Quality wins over top four contenders RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt play a huge role in Union’s current place in the table. In the infamous win over Frankfurt on match-day four, all four goals were scored off counters.

Baumgart’s days as the Kölner “flat-cap general” or the infamous days of his famously gruff shouting whilst at Paderborn during the “Geisterspiel Era” are long gone. During his final days at Köln in the autumn of 2023, most Germans had enough of all the hype. Baumgart garnered the reputation as nothing more than a shallow “method actor”. Köln were partially at fault for this by making Baumgart the center-piece of too many vapid PR stunts. Baumgart’s failed stint at HSV left no one really interested in his antics anymore. 

There can still be times that Baumgart’s antics prove just a bit too much, but the fact that the Rostock native routinely delivers quotes above and beyond all that of his Bundesliga counterparts restores some of his charm. How can one truly resist a man who routinely drops profanity in such a poetic fashion, makes endless German historical references, or cites something as unique as “bad Bratwurst luck” after a tough league loss? Perhaps the time has simply come to welcome Baumgart back into the fold. 

“Method acting” is just fine. 

Welcome back, Stefan!

Autumn Transfer Assessment, 1. FC Union Berlin

Estimated Summer Transfer Balance = +€200,000

Young German striker Ilyas Ansah’s dreamlike emergence as a top Bundesliga performer continues. The 21-year-old has displayed impressive consistency throughout the current campaign, keeping up his form through the 15 Bundesliga match-days completed thus far. Ansah, Union’s top scorer, now has five Bundesliga goals and two assists to his name. The team has won most every time Ansah got his name on the scoresheet. At least two of Ansah’s fabulous distance efforts will find their way into the “Goal of the Season” contention once we’re through. 

Plenty of excitement grips observers whenever Ansah touches the ball. His pace and unpredictability when it comes to shooting leave one hopeful that something special will happen. Heldt definitely secured a significant upgrade for the departed Benedict Hollerbach with this new Germany U21 star. Prolific Scottish striker Oliver Burke (whom most of us Germans never doubted for a second despite his fair share of adversity) showed up when it mattered in the Frankfurt and Leipzig wins. 

A third big “transfer win” (not to mention another player Germans consistently backed in spite of some struggles) can be found in former Bayern academy man Derrick Köhn. The Hamburg-native simply belongs in the Bundesliga. Köhn excels as a wingback and general wide “rail-footballer”. Though the newly-capped Ghanaian international hasn’t registered a scorer-point for his new club yet, one really enjoys watching his pace and dynamism on the left. Köhn too was great as a starter in the Frankfurt and Leipzig wins. 

It may seem like newly-signed striker Andrej Ilic counts as a flop as he’s yet to score a league goal this season, but Ilic did furnish three assists in the Frankfurt win and has set up a total of nine goals across all competitions this year. Taking it slowly with risky summer acquisition Stanley Nsoki has also paid off. The 26-year-old Hoffenheim flop recently scored his second Bundesliga goal in his first league start in ages. Nsoki, together with Tom Rothe and surprise scoring machine Danilho Doekhi, have ensured that six goals came out of the FCU central defensive corps this year.

If there is a player who qualifies as something of a flop, it’s South Korean international Woo-Yeong Jeong. The fact that the 26-year-old has been fit this season means that Jeong has earned his fair share of minutes. The fact that Jeong garnered an assist in the Leipzig win nevertheless doesn’t totally justify his permanent purchase. Baumgart’s new 3-4-3 remains rather ill-suited to Jeong, who always worked best as an anchoring attacker or service-striker. It might be the best things for all parties involved to quickly send Jeong on his way. 

Dead Weight Ledger and Expiring Contracts, 1. FC Union Berlin

Union’s roster contains two players – midfielder Alex Kral and striker Marin Ljubicic – whom one can be forgiven for having forgotten still play for this team. Heldt needs to move them pronto. Josip Juranovic and Tim Skarke may be remaining put due to some recent performances that place them back in the relevant pool. Young attackers Livan Burcu, David Preu, and Dymtro Bogdanov should be parked elsewhere in order to further hone their skills. Bogdanov in particular is beginning to blossom in the U19 youth league and urgently requires a better developmental locale. 

Dead-Weight Ledger = Josip Juranovic (RB), Axel Kral (CM), Marin Ljubicic (CF), Tim Skarke (LS), Livan Burcu (LW), Dymtro Bogdanov (CF)

The story of expiring contracts here does count as something of a black stain on Heldt’s performance. The matter of center backs Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite is simply a longstanding matter of unfinished business that the FCU sporting director should have taken care of a long-time ago. One doesn’t wish to be too hard on Heldt for his failure to move Leite and acquire Jeremiah St. Juste on transfer deadline day. The fact that Leite was ultimately re-integrated into the squad and done well renders the two busted deals less consequential. 

Heldt can still stand to make some good decisions when it comes to both Doekhi and Leite in the forthcoming transfer window. Cashing in on both of them whilst acquiring some quality center backs more committed to the club on a long-term basis would be fabulous. The author, inherent bias noted, will also advocate giving Christopher Trimmel another one-year contract extension. Even if it’s merely a symbolic move at this point, it’s simply the right thing to do. 

Expiring contracts =  Danilho Doekhi (CB), Diogo Leite (CB), Christopher Trimmel (RB)

Further Needs and Rumored Links, 1. FC Union Berlin

Some solid links abound here and one hopes that names like Anthony Dennis and “Hidden Heidenheim Gem” Omar Haktab Traoré are on their way to Köpenick. Bundesliga enthusiasts would also love to see former Hertha and Gladbach man Valentino Lazaro back in German football. Many still recall Lazaro’s breathtaking “scorpion kick” goal during the dark COVID days in November 2020. Former Augsburg central defender Felix Uduokhai is also welcome back in the Bundesliga at time. 

So is Jerry St. Juste. 

Don’t give up, Horst!

Further Needs = LB, CB, RB, DM, CF

Rumored Links = Felix Uduokhai (CB), Anthony Dennis (DM), Valentino Lazaro (RB), Omar Haktab Traoré (RB)

GGFN | Peter Weis