HSV rumours grow: how realistic is a Reis return? | OneFootball

It’s an idea many HSV fans would likely love: Ludovit Reis returning to the Volkspark just one year after his departure.

The speculation was sparked by transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri, who named HSV as a possible interested party. The background is the Dutchman’s difficult situation at Club Brugge. After promotion last summer, Reis joined the Belgian top club for around six million euros.

However, things have not gone as hoped for his career in the city of 120,000 inhabitants. Across all competitions, the 26-year-old made just twelve competitive appearances and apparently no longer has any real sporting prospects at Brugge. A departure in the near future is therefore considered possible.

But how realistic would a return actually be?

At first glance, not much seems to speak in favor of it. HSV have already invested considerable sums in their midfield this summer. With Kofi Amoako, Albert Grönbaek, and Martin Adeline, three central players have been signed at a combined cost of 10.5 million euros. Added to that is the ongoing hope of signing Fabio Vieira on a permanent deal.

Above all, though, the biggest problem areas currently lie elsewhere. Hamburg are still looking for a successor to defensive leader Luka Vuskovic, two full-backs, and at least two new strikers. Signing Reis would therefore probably be more of a bonus transfer than an absolute priority.

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Financially, too, a deal would be far from straightforward. Brugge are unlikely to recoup the six million euros they invested, but the West Flemish side are also not going to give away the midfielder just one year after his arrival. On top of that, Reis is coming off a difficult season marked by injuries and sporting setbacks.

There is another aspect as well: despite all his affection for HSV, the former fan favorite pushed quite passionately for an early exit last summer. “He was clear in his desire to leave,” sporting director Claus Costa revealed only recently in an interview with Mopo. So would the North Germans really want to throw the doors wide open again for their former player just 13 months later?

Even so, the rumors cannot be dismissed entirely

On the other hand, Reis knows the club, parts of the squad, and the coaching staff extremely well. His relationship with Merlin Polzin is said to be excellent. When the midfielder surprisingly visited the team in training in November 2025, the HSV coach said: “He will always be a part of us. He has achieved too much for that, and we are also far too fond of him.”

There is also a sporting aspect that is often overlooked. Despite being quantitatively well stocked in midfield, HSV currently have hardly any player with Reis’s profile. While Adeline, Grönbaek, and Vieira are more attack-minded types, and Nicolai Remberg and Kofi Amoako are classic holding midfielders, the former promotion hero embodies the prototype of a dynamic box-to-box player. Reis carries the ball through midfield, drives the game forward, and links defense with attack.

The only classic number eight in the current squad is Sambi Lokonga. However, he is more of a deep-lying playmaker who is defined first and foremost by his passing quality. It is also clear that, due to injuries, the Belgian will not be available for the full 34 league matches. Last season he played 26 Bundesliga games and also missed out in the DFB-Pokal. There is no question that HSV would therefore benefit from strengthening their squad not only in quality, but also in depth.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.