Wire flash
SportsGladbach winger Nathan Ngoumou omitted from friendly squad, signaling imminent departure
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Borussia Mönchengladbach winger Nathan Ngoumou was left out of the matchday squad for the club's 2-1 pre-season friendly victory over third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen. Coach Eugen Polanski confirmed the 26-year-old was neither injured nor in transfer negotiations, but simply a victim of squad overcrowding, with some positions triple-occupied. Ngoumou, who has a contract until 2027, has received vague inquiries from Anderlecht and clubs in France and Poland, but no concrete offer. His exclusion from friendlies is problematic as interested clubs want to see current proof of his performance after a long injury layoff before committing to a transfer. The decision is seen as a clear sign that Ngoumou is no longer part of Gladbach's plans for the upcoming Bundesliga season.
Source report
In the second pre-season test match, Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a 2-1 victory on Saturday against third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen in front of 8,821 spectators. Coach Eugen Polanski (40) used a total of 24 players during the game.
Nathan Ngoumou (26) was notably absent from the squad. He was not injured, nor was he away for transfer negotiations. Polanski simply had no squad place left for him.
Other Absentees
Alongside Ngoumou, the following players were also missing from the Foals' squad:
- Zento Uno (21) – still recovering
- Tomas Cvancara (25) – still recovering
- Jens Castrop (22) – load management
- David Herold (23) – slight muscle problems
Coach's Explanation
Polanski made the situation clear:
"It's simply that I currently have so many players and I also want and need to distribute the minutes to get them into a rhythm. This was already discussed with Nathan, that his comeback after the long injury would work against Wuppertal. But unfortunately, some positions with us are even triple-occupied, not just double-occupied. If we don't have any major injuries, then it affects players who can't get playing time."
Ngoumou's Situation
For the quick offensive player, who remains under contract with Gladbach until 2027, this exclusion is a clear sign that he is no longer part of the club's plans in the Bundesliga.
According to BILD information, there have been some vague inquiries for Ngoumou so far:
- Anderlecht
- Two clubs from France
- One club from Poland
However, a concrete transfer is not yet in place. The problem: If Ngoumou does not receive any playing time in Borussia's pre-season friendlies, he cannot recommend himself to other clubs. After his long injury layoff, interested clubs want to see current proof of performance before committing to a signing.
Source
BILD - SportWestern
Part of this Story
Nathan Ngoumou Omitted from Gladbach Squad, Signaling Imminent Departure