Baku hopeful of return to form: "Things can happen quickly in football."
After performing well against Borussia Dortmund this past weekend and earning "man-of-the-match" honors from Germany's preeminent footballing publication, former German national team right-back Ridle Baku spoke to Kicker Magazine about his future plans on Thursday.
Never shy about being self-critical, German fullback Ridle Baku once again blamed his own performance issues for the fact that - once again - he hasn't been able to crack the VfL Wolfsburg starting XI this season. The 25-year-old Mainz native - very popular among German football fans as a native son of the Bundesrepublik given his nickname by his football-loving father - has seen his estimated market worth fall from a peak of €25 million in December 2021 to €10 million today.
Baku was once among the most celebrated of Germany's U21 internationals. He was capped four times for Germany at senior level and even scored once for Hansi Flick's Nationalmannschaft during a 2022 World Cup qualifying win over Liechtenstein. On Saturday against Dortmund, Baku earned his 10th start for club this season. Baku's performance stood out to the point that he was given man-of-the-match honors by Germany's Kicker magazine in Saturday's 1-1 draw. It remains possible that Kovac may be preparing to turn to him more regularly.
Speaking to Kicker in an interview published in the Thursday print edition of the magazine, Baku expressed the hope that he would once again get his chance to shine for Kovac's green company team. Capable of playing both as a right back, a right-oriented midfielder, and an attacking winger, Baku did manage to score five league goals last year during some form surges. The player's current contract with the Wolves expires at the end of next season, meaning he could get a chance to shop himself for a summer transfer.
"Things can happen quickly in football," Baku told Kicker's Thomas Hiete, "I'm playing irregularly, but I can take something from that. [This summer] one either extends one's contract or moves somewhere else. I'm not worried about that now. I'm playing inconsistently. The best things always happen when on least expects it."