Two sources report that Robin Hack deal may still happen
1. FC Nürnberg coach Robert Klauß and sporting director Dieter Hecking have made their share of blusterous statements to the contrary. Reliable sources still suggest that Köln and the club are negotiating around a specific number.
FC Nürnberg head coach Robert Klauß's stark denials notwithstanding, two sources are now reporting that 1. FC Köln may actually be close to acquiring targeted winger Robin Hack from the second-tier side after all. Köln's "Express-Zeitung" reports that the two sides are talking. German footballing magazine Kicker notes that negotiations center around the concrete number of €4 million.
Klauß's bluster may amount to little more than a coach's bravado. Kicker reports that the decision-makers in at the FCN have left the door open to Hack's sale. Klauß's superiors may be able to conclude a deal whether he finds it acceptable or not. New sporting director Dieter Hecking, who joined his old club after parting company with Hamburger SV earlier this summer, has made more proscribed statements.
"We're remain unwilling to give up on Robin," Hecking noted. He nevertheless alluded to the fact that a financially troubled club must always be willing to entertain offers. Hecking referred to a "pain threshold", exacerbated by the disadvantages footballing economics of the COVID-19 crisis. To reiterate, the Kicker sources indicate that this "threshold" purportedly translates to a €4 million influx of cash for the club.
Köln Managing Director Horst Heldt is said to still be negotiating for a lower transfer fee. Klaus himself recently walked back some of his statements made earlier in week, conceding "There is no such thing as certainty with any player."