Wolfsburg reject 1. FC Köln offer for Brazilian midfielder Vinicius Souza | OneFootball

Kicker reports that 2. Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg have rejected a 1. FC Köln offer for defensive midfielder Vinicius Souza. Köln proposed taking the 27-year-old on loan with an option to buy. The recently relegated Wolves nevertheless turned down the offer and presently intend to retain Souza for their attempt to secure an immediate return to the Bundesliga.

Finding a new holding midfielder remains one of Köln’s primary objectives following Eric Martel’s move to Mainz 05. West Ham United midfielder Edson Álvarez has been mentioned as a possible candidate, while a reunion with former Köln player Ellyes Skhiri was also explored.

Skhiri is no longer considered an option at the RheinEnergieStadion, however. The 31-year-old has been permitted to seek an Eintracht Frankfurt departure, but Köln have decided to pursue alternative solutions.

Managing director for sport Thomas Kessler recently confirmed that the cathedral city club are seeking a No. 6 capable of providing the team with greater stability. Financial limitations nevertheless mean Köln must identify a player available under favourable conditions.

A loan with a purchase option for Souza would have met those requirements. Wolfsburg have no interest in accepting such a proposal.

Wolfsburg’s plan with Vinicius Souza

Wolfsburg invested approximately €15 million to sign Souza from Sheffield United last summer.

The former Flamengo academy player arrived as Wolfsburg’s marquee summer signing after previously representing Lommel, KV Mechelen, Espanyol and Sheffield United. Souza also brought with him the experience of 36 Premier League appearances.

His first season in Germany nevertheless proved deeply disappointing.

Souza was regularly deployed in an advanced midfield role under former Wolfsburg trainer Paul Simonis. The experiment prevented the physical Brazilian from working in his preferred position directly in front of the back line.

Simonis faced repeated criticism for using Souza as an attacking link player instead of allowing him to concentrate on winning challenges, screening the defence and initiating attacks from deeper areas.

The arrangement appeared designed to avoid displacing club captain Maximilian Arnold. It ultimately served neither Souza nor the team particularly well.

The midfielder later disappeared from the starting XI entirely as Wolfsburg’s season deteriorated. Simonis was dismissed, while Daniel Bauer and Dieter Hecking subsequently became the second and third head coaches to work with Souza during the campaign.

Souza finally finds appropriate Wolfsburg role

The Brazilian began to show signs of improvement during the closing stages of Wolfsburg’s relegation campaign.

A Get German Football News relegation-check feature on Wolfsburg’s battle against the drop concluded that Bauer had finally located an appropriate role for the expensive summer signing.

Souza worked as a defensively minded link player in a 3-3-2-2 formation, dropping back to assist the central defenders while still possessing enough freedom to carry the ball and connect with forward-moving teammates.

His performance against Hamburg represented perhaps his best work in a Wolfsburg shirt. Souza won challenges in deeper areas, completed forward passes and used his physical strength to help stabilize the team’s central axis.

The improvement came too late to prevent Wolfsburg’s relegation, but it demonstrated why the club originally spent heavily to acquire him.

Hecking, who subsequently moved from the touchline into Wolfsburg’s sporting administration, evidently believes Souza can remain useful. New head coach Tobias Strobl also considers the Brazilian a likely starter in the second division.

Wolfsburg are therefore expected to consider a sale only if an interested club offers something close to their original €15 million investment.

Such a fee lies well beyond Köln’s present financial capabilities. The Bundesliga club consequently have little realistic prospect of changing Wolfsburg’s position unless the Lower Saxons soften their demands later in the transfer window.

Souza would have represented a physically imposing solution to Köln’s holding-midfield vacancy, but Wolfsburg’s rejection leaves Kessler and squad planner Tim Steidten searching elsewhere.

With the Skhiri option also abandoned, Köln must now identify another affordable midfielder capable of giving the team the defensive stability they seek.

GGFN | Peter Weis