Cameron Puertas will not be returning to Werder Bremen, joining UAE side Al-Wasl on a one-year loan instead. Bild Sport reported the move this week, surprising many of the Bundesliga club's supporters.

Werder had hoped to sign the 28-year-old midfielder permanently after his successful loan spell last season. Negotiations with his parent club Al-Qadsiah from Saudi Arabia broke down over the demanded fee of ten million euros. Manager Daniel Thioune, 52, is therefore left without an additional new signing for the centre of the park. The team sits in 10th place in the Bundesliga with three points from two games, having scored four goals and conceded five.

Why the move to the UAE materialised

Al-Qadsiah appeared to have a buyer lined up for Puertas when Al-Wasl SC entered the picture. The club from the United Arab Emirates, a top-tier side for 17 years, has now secured the player on a one-year loan. Interestingly, Al-Wasl is scheduled to play Al-Qadsiah in the Asian Champions League this coming Monday. Puertas himself had aimed for a permanent return to Europe. His departure leaves a gap at Werder that was not filled after the club abandoned its pursuit of the Swiss player on the final day of the German transfer window.

How Werder is responding to the missed reinforcement

In response to the injury-enforced absence of Jens Stage, Werder had already signed young Dutchman Youri Regeer earlier. The 23-year-old is intended to replace the Dane, who suffered a thigh tendon tear and is not expected back before January. Alongside Stage, manager Thioune is currently also without Felix Agu, Justin Njinmah, Eren Dinkçi and Senne Lynen, as shown by the current injury list. These personnel shortages make the lack of an additional midfield reinforcement particularly noticeable.

What challenges lie ahead now

The Werder Bremen squad must tackle the upcoming tasks with the existing roster. The next match is away at 1. FC Köln on September 12th, a team currently sitting in 11th place. A look at the league standings shows Werder is three points behind surprising leaders FC Augsburg. The coming weeks will show how the team handles the situation. The full schedule for the next competitive fixtures can be found in the fixtures list.

The focus is now entirely on preparing for the derby against Köln. A victory could steer the young season back in the right direction.