Everton’s January transfer plans may have suffered a setback with the news that target Dennis Geiger is in talks to sign a new deal with his club, Hoffenheim.
The 24-year-old’s current contract with the Bundesliga club is set to expire next summer, prompting the Blues to line up a potential bargain deal for the midfielder, however it now seems that the former Germany U21 international is more likely to remain at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
Geiger said, “We are in talks (over a new deal). I feel extremely comfortable at Hoffenheim. I don’t need to repeat that every two weeks!
“Everyone who works more closely with me here knows how much I enjoy what I do. And how much fun I have with the team and the staff.
“In the past, it was always my goal to play for Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund. Or even in the Premier League.
“But when you suffer so many injury setbacks, I’m mainly just happy that I’ve fought my way back like this. And that I can still play football at this level at all.”
Geiger’s admission will almost certainly prompt Lampard to seek reinforcements elsewhere, though with the midfielder’s injury record in mind, it may not prove to be such a missed opportunity.
Indeed, since the 2019/20 season, Geiger has missed 51 games for Hoffenheim, with a varying range of ailments including a fractured hand and reoccurring thigh problems. While the limited amount of time remaining on his current deal would have seen a reduction in his price tag, could Everton really afford another injury prone player?
Yerry Mina’s continued injuries have been a persistent source of frustration for Everton fans, compounded by the fact that he’s currently the club’s highest paid player. DCL’s injury woes have been just as well documented, with the Blues entering yet another transfer window needing to prioritise a forward.
With an already busy treatment room at the club, Geiger signing a new contract at Hoffenheim could be a blessing in disguise.