Premier League snubbed! World Cup winner in shock talks with Bundesliga minnows
Tom Weber
- 6 Nov 2023 10:09 CST
- 3 min read
World Cup winner Jerome Boateng is reportedly in talks with promoted Bundesliga side Heidenheim.
The controversial former Bayern star, who has been in the midst of a lengthy legal battle over domestic violence allegations, has been a free agent since leaving Olympique Lyon in the summer. Aged 35, Boateng is nearing the twilight of his career, but it appears that he wants to continue playing at the highest level.
A World Cup winner with Germany and former Bundesliga star, most notably with Bayern, he has been training with his former club to remain fit. Initial reports had suggested that the Bavarians could offer their club legend a short-term deal, but they ultimately decided against it, likely due to fears of public backlash because of the ongoing legal proceedings.
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In the meantime, Premier League side Everton were also linked with the defender, while most recently fresh claims surfaced that Bayern may after all give him a deal because of their defensive injury crisis, which saw midfielder Leon Goretzka deputise at centre-back in their 4-0 beatdown of Dortmund in Der Klassiker.
Boateng set for minnows?
Now, the latest reports out of Germany claim that Boateng has been approached by promoted Bundesliga FC Heidenheim. The minnows are currently in the midst of their first-ever season in the German top flight and BILD assert that they are "considering" signing Boateng, with first talks already having taken place.
The club refused to comment on the links, but the German outlet states that Heidenheim had already looked for an additional centre-back in the summer and Boateng's experience makes him an attractive option.
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Heidenheim, coached by Frank Schmidt, one of the longest-serving managers in Europe (in charge since 2007), hail from a town of no more than 50,000 souls and will battle against the drop this term. At the weekend, they recorded a stunning 2-0 win over this season's Bundesliga surprise package Stuttgart.
