Leipzig boss opens door for Yussuf Poulsen to leave
Yussuf Poulsen. | Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
When Yussuf Poulsen joined RB Leipzig from Danish side Lyngby Boldklub 11 years ago, Die Roten Bullen were playing in the third division.
Since then, a lot has happened for Leipzig, who are now one of the Bundesliga's top teams, and for Poulsen, who is a fan favorite and the club's all-time most-capped player with 396 appearances.
But despite being described as a "cornerstone" by RB Leipzig sporting director Rouven Schröder, there's no doubt that the 30-year-old no longer plays as important a role for the club on the pitch as he once did.
And if he has the desire to try something else, Leipzig are ready to let him explore that, as the Leipzig boss revealed after Saturday's 1-0 win over Bochum.
"We have a transfer window in which the players think, just like the club," said the 48-year-old, according to RBlive.de.
"If the cornerstone is there, you don't have to let him go. But if the cornerstone comes and says he wants to do something else, you can let the cornerstone go because he has been a cornerstone for years," he added.
After all, it is not only the club that has a say. "The player can come too," said Schröder.
According to Bild, a number of foreign clubs have shown vague interest in Poulsen. He came on in the 75th minute against Bochum.