FC Augsburg's sports director, Beljo, announces his departure from the club...

Here's the Lowdown on FC Augsburg's Off-Pitch Drama

It's a hush-hush affair at FC Augsburg these days, with the squad still on vacation and the U21 European Championship being the only action taking place outside the Bundesliga club. The question remains, what's cooking behind the scenes as the club prepares for a fresh season?

First and foremost, who the bloody hell will be the new Sporting Director? If reports are to be believed, Benjamin Weber is the likely candidate. But there's a snag; he's currently tied down at SC Paderborn, who've also lost their coach, Lukas Kwasniok, to 1. FC Köln. Fingers are crossed for an agreement to be reached.

Dion Beljo, the Croatian striker, had a disappointing stint with FC Augsburg, failing to shine as expected since his arrival from Croatian first division side NK Osijek in January 2023. His loan to Rapid Wien bore fruit, with 19 goals and five assists in 49 games. Now he's back, but there's a strong possibility he's eyeing a move elsewhere, despite the imminent arrival of Sandro Wagner as coach. Rumor has it that Dinamo Zagreb is interested, with FC Augsburg planning to demand around eight million euros in transfer fees.

Now, who in the current squad is in danger of getting the boot? With a whopping 32 players on the roster, the club is running short on space and quality at the top. Robert Gumny's departure is already a foregone conclusion, but further bands from the crew are on the cards. Potential candidates include loan returnees, with Patric Pfeiffer, Maximilian Bauer, and David Colina potentially on the chopping block. The case of Tim Breithaupt is intriguing, as he's got the technical skills and build-up play that a team focusing on possession-based football would covet. However, under Jess Thorup, he couldn't displace Kristijan Jakic, leading to a winter loan to Kaiserslautern. Things mightchange under Wagner in the new season.

The club's looking to bring in some fresh talent as well. Reinforcements are necessary, especially considering the departures. The club is reportedly interested in a central defender, a right winger, and a backup goalkeeper, as Andreas Luthe's contract is set to expire. The club is also open to loan deals to give the team's younger players valuable experience.

As for new faces, Kyliane Dong and Austria's U18 national player Oliver Sorg have already joined the club. Sorg is initially assigned to the U23, though, which is bloody disappointing considering his potential. There's talk of a move for left-back Elias Jelert, but VfL Wolfsburg is also showing interest in the Dane. Florian Neuhaus is another name cropping up in rumors, as he could be mulling a move after a season without a regular starting position at Borussia Mönchengladbach. But at this point, it's all just talk, bloody talk.

Lastly, there's always the annual speculation about Fabian Rieder and left-back David Herold from Karlsruhe SC. But for now, lads, let's take it easy. Fans will have to be patient and wait for the dust to settle before any concrete news comes out.

Sources:[1] [Link Nowak][2] [Link Raphael Honigstein][3] [Link Transfermarkt][4] [Link Bild][5] [Link Sport1]

Could FC Augsburg's football team see a shake-up with the addition of new players in the upcoming season?
Rumors suggest that left-back Elias Jelert might join the club, potentially adding strength to their defense.