Kevin Wimmer has finished his rental year at Hannover 96, but will not return to Stoke City for the time being. The club from the English Championship told the nine-time ÖFB team player that he had to train in the second team. Wimmer then decided to keep fit at his ex-club 1. FC Köln.
“That’s just the thing. Since Jorge Meré is still on vacation, we have only had three central defenders so far. With Kevin as fourth man in this position, our training work will be made easier,” coach Achim Beierlorzer told the kicker. Wimmer goes with the Effzeh to the training camp in Donaueschingen at his own request.
“Kevin has come to us with the question whether he can train with us. He has always been a top player at FC, so we make that possible for him,” said FC Managing Director Armin Veh.
Last season Wimmer worked for Hannover 96, he was awarded by Stoke City to the current second league relegator. Through a curious clause in his contract, Wimmer should have even been committed by the 96’s for 12 million euros, had he completed a certain number of professional assignments.
This was not solved in the end, and Stoke does not plan on the island with the central defender. Wimmer played for 1 FC Cologne for three years before Tottenham Hotspur signed him up for around six million euros in summer 2015. Two years later, he switched to Stoke for 20 million euros, making him the third most expensive transfer of an ÖFB professional to date, behind Marko Arnautovic and Valentino Lazaro.
Despite the current agreement, Cologne should not be interested in a commitment from Wimmer, as the kicker reports.
