Max Eberl provides updates on Matthias Ginter, Denis Zakaria amid Bayern Munich links

It’s been confirmed that both Matthias Ginter and Denis Zakaria will not be renewing their current contracts with Borussia Monchengladbach. Both deals expire this upcoming summer and they will both, at least by then, have left Gladbach. In recent weeks, despite Bayern Munich’s front office remaining adamant they would not do any incoming business during the winter transfer window, both Ginter and Zakaria have been linked with potential free transfers to Munich.

Monchengladbach’s front office had done everything in their power to try to convince both Ginter and Zakaria to stay and sign new deals, but sporting director Max Eberl recently explained that it was his goal to have these finalized decisions made before the Bundesliga’s winter break. “I didn’t want to endure this delaying tactic. I wanted to have decisions before the winter break began. We finally wanted to nail our heads,” he recently told Sky (via Sport1).

Eberl continued by saying Gladbach is not currently in a position to “go along with offers that other clubs may offer.” Rather, with the players that have upcoming expiring contracts and are linked with potential moves away from the club, it’s about “acting in such a way that the association will still exist in four to five years. That is why we said to Matze (Ginter): We cannot and do not want to (extend his contract),” he explained. Gladbach have a torrid defensive record so far this season, conceding 32 goals already from their first 17 Bundesliga matches, and Ginter is arguably a victim of being in a bad situation in Die Fohlen’s back line while has been performing particularly poorly himself. He’s also had recent solid performances for the German national team under Hansi Flick.

For Zakaria’s case, he had made it clear to the club last summer that his intent was to leave and not to entertain the idea of signing a new deal at ‘Gladbach. Despite the prospect of losing a high quality midfielder, Eberl is fine with the logic and clarity of the fact that Zakaria made his own decision. “Denis made the decision and that’s a good thing. That’s why we don’t go into shock,” he said. Even with losing players like Zakaria and Ginter as early as (potentially) this winter, Eberl still thinks Gladbach have a solid enough group to turn their fortunes around in the Ruckrunde. “That won’t knock the club out of its foundations. We now have clarity — and with that clarity we can work,” he explained.

A departure for Marcus Thuram, whose contract expires in 2023, is not outside the realm of possibility, according to Eberl. “If we have an outstanding offer for any player, then we have to sit down and decide, but the January market is not exactly the most productive. The summer was already very complicated and January is not exactly better,” he said.