Relegated Ballers: Bundesliga

Relegated Ballers: German Bundesliga 2023/24

As the 2023/24 season draws to a close, the transfer window is fast approaching. Clubs around the world will be looking to strengthen their squads in preparation for the next campaign, and as far as getting good deals is concerned, there are few better places to look than relegated clubs. Using smarterscout’s league benchmarking models and advanced metrics, we will pick out some such players in this series.

The 2023/24 German Bundesliga season was fantastic to follow in all parts of the table. Bayer Leverkusen ended up running away at the top to lift their first-ever top-flight league title, Stuttgart finished a mightily impressive second, newly-promoted Heidenheim snuck into a European spot and a great relegation battle ended with the six teams from 11th to 16th separated by just six points.

Darmstadt’s relegation was a foregone conclusion by the business end of the season and they were ultimately joined by Köln while Union Berlin dramatically escaped out of the playoff spot at the death. That meant Bochum faced Fortuna Düsseldorf across two legs with their Bundesliga status on the line, and they somehow salvaged it despite losing by a three-goal margin at home.

So just two teams suffered relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of the season, but not all of their players went down quietly. Here are four names that top-flight clubs should be looking to sign this summer:

Leart Paçarada (LB, 1994, Köln)

Leart Paçarada’s move to Köln was jeoparized last summer by their transfer ban, and he might have been better off had it not gone through as his previous side St. Pauli will be replacing the Billy Goats in the Bundesliga next season. His performances should have done his reputation no harm even though he was not always a regular starter as he maintained the very impressive level he had shown for many a season in the second tier previously.

This consistency in his track record should make him a no-brainer option for any Bundesliga club looking for an attack-minded overlapping left back this summer, and clubs from elsewhere in Europe could well be tempted too. He might not have registered any assists in the Bundesliga last season but that was mainly due to a lack of clincality on his teammates’ part, while his consecutive double-digit tallies for St. Pauli should underscore his potential.

The Kosovar international has a couple of years left on his current contract but is only valued at €1.5 million by Transfermarkt following Köln’s relegation, so he could be a real bargain buy for someone even at 29 years old.

Marvin Mehlem (CM, 1997, Darmstadt)

Darmstadt’s survival chances were certainly not helped by the broken fibula suffered by Marvin Mehlem which kept him out for most of 2024. In the first half of the season, though, he gave a very good account of himself as an all-action midfielder who can do a little bit of everything.

The 26-year-old midfielder’s defending quality, quantity and strength in ground duels out of possession should make him a very useful combative midfielder for any side with a heavy emphasis on defending. His low ball retention means he is probably not best suited for a heavily possession-based team, though there are not too many such sides in the Bundesliga.

Mehlem’s contract expires in 2025 and he reportedly does not wish to extend, making an exit this summer the likeliest outcome. By all accounts, he could be available for around €2 million.

Eric Martel (DM, 2002, Köln)

One of the most exciting young talents to be relegated from the Bundesliga last season was Eric Martel. Playing a critical role at the base of their midfield following the departure of Ellyes Skhiri, he got through a ton of defensive work with an average of 4.14 tackles and interceptions per 90 to go with 2.38 blocks resulting in a significant uptick in his defending quantity compared to his Bundesliga debut season.

The German under-21 captain also showed himself to be very strong in the air in all situations, though his strength in ground duels could use work. He is also quite handy as a short circulator on the ball with decent retention and link-up passing.

Köln should have been delighted to sign Martel for just €1.2 million in 2022. Even after their relegation, his release clause is over four times that amount at €5 million, so they can still flip a tidy profit on him.

Rasmus Carstensen (RB, 2000, Köln)

Despite Köln’s relegation and transfer ban, they will reportedly be able to exercise the purchase option worth €1.5 million in Rasmus Carstensen’s loan deal from Genk.

He had a bit of a bumpy 2023/24 season he drifted in and out of the starting line-up and certainly did not get the chance to showcase his best qualities. Forced to defend much more for the relegation battlers, he could not get forward on and off the ball as much as he did in his standout Danish Superliga season with Silkeborg.

Still, the 23-year-old right back did enough to hold his own defensively. Teams looking to sign him may want to give him a more attacking role where he can link-up with his attacking teammates and freely carry the ball forward before whipping crosses in. So, if he is to move somewhere this summer, he should look to join a more front-footed team.