Official | Samuel Mbangula and Patrice Covic depart Werder Bremen on loan deals

Werder Bremen have confirmed two further departures at the conclusion of the summer transfer window, with Samuel Mbangula joining Bologna and highly-rated midfielder Patrice Covic moving to Dynamo Dresden. Mbangula returns to Italy on a season-long loan containing a purchase option. Kicker reports that the permanent-transfer clause exceeds the approximately €10m Werder paid Juventus for the Belgian international last summer.

The move had been expected. Get German Football Newsreported on Monday that Bologna had overtaken Atalanta in the race to sign Mbangula after the 22-year-old was excused from Bremen training in order to conduct transfer talks. Mbangula departs only 13 months after becoming one of the most expensive signings in Werder history.

Werder invested heavily in Mbangula after his breakthrough at Juventus, paying approximately €10m for a player expected to become an important part of the club’s attack. The winger initially offered encouraging signs. Five goal contributions arrived across his opening six Bundesliga matchdays, but consistency proved difficult to establish thereafter.

Mbangula finished his first German top-flight campaign with three goals and four assists. He made 26 Bundesliga appearances, but started only 12 times as injuries, tactical experimentation and Bremen’s wider attacking difficulties complicated his adaptation.

Daniel Thioune attempted to reset the Belgian during the summer.

As detailed in Get German Football News’2026/27 Werder Bremen tactical preview, Mbangula returned to a more natural attacking role during preseason after occasionally being asked to perform wing-back duties during his first season.

There were encouraging moments. The attempted rehabilitation nevertheless failed to survive the opening weeks of competitive football.

Mbangula was withdrawn at half-time during Werder’s DFB-Pokal opener and remained unused in Sunday’s 4-1 Bundesliga defeat at Freiburg. With Italian clubs circling, both player and club ultimately concluded that another move represented the preferable solution.

Bologna now provide Mbangula with an opportunity to restart his career in familiar surroundings.

The Belgian spent five years in Juventus’ organization before moving to Germany and Bologna head coach Domenico Tedesco already knows him from his previous work with the Belgian national team.

Mbangula’s departure also carries immediate consequences for Bremen.

Combined with Justin Njinmah’s serious thigh injury, the move leaves Thioune with considerably fewer established options on the attacking flanks. Werder nevertheless elected not to sign another winger before the deadline, instead trusting Marco Grüll, Eren Dinkçi and preseason breakthrough player Paul Erevbenagie to absorb the available minutes.

Covic’s departure represents a very different type of transaction. The 19-year-old midfielder joins Dynamo Dresden on loan through the end of the season after requesting the opportunity to obtain more consistent first-team football. Werder continue to regard the Berlin-born Croatia youth international as an important prospect.

Covic first forced his way into the senior conversation during the summer of 2025. GGFNhighlighted how he had outperformed fellow attacking prospect Leon Opitz during preseason after being promoted from the U19s. He subsequently established himself around the first team and has already accumulated 16 Bundesliga appearances. His first top-flight goal came during Bremen’s emphatic 4-1 victory away at Union Berlin last season.

Covic’s versatility remained evident during Thioune’s latest preseason preparations. The midfielder was used as a six, an eight and in more advanced roles, with Get German Football Newsagain identifying him among Werder’s intriguing young players earlier this year.

Regular competitive minutes nevertheless remained difficult to guarantee. Covic entered only in the 85th minute of Sunday’s league opener at Freiburg and subsequently asked Werder Bremen officials to sanction a loan move.

Dresden now offer the desired pathway.

“We are absolutely convinced by Patrice,” Werder head of professional football Peter Niemeyer said. “But it is also our responsibility to assess which perspective makes the most sense for his further development. For him, it is now about playing regularly at a high level. That’s why we decided together with him on a loan. Dresden offers a very good environment in which he can take the next step.”

GGFN | Peter Weis