Werder Bremen have signed two new players following their heavy opening defeat in the Bundesliga. The club is reacting to the serious injury of Jens Stage by bringing in Youri Regeer and Arthur, as reported by multiple sources.
Daniel Thioune's team sits in 15th place after one match with zero points and a goal difference of minus three. On Saturday, Werder host third-placed RB Leipzig, as shown on our fixtures page.
What caused the 4-1 loss to Freiburg?
Fox Sports reported that Werder Bremen lost their first match of the 2026/27 season 4-1 away to SC Freiburg. A hat-trick from Japanese striker Yuito Suzuki decided the match at the Europa-Park Stadion early on. For Werder, substitute Dariusz Stalmach scored the consolation goal in the 76th minute to make it 1-4. Bremen started the game with three new players in the lineup, including goalkeeper Karl Hein and summer signings Ludovit Reis and Chuki.
The defence could not cope with Freiburg's attacking strength. After falling behind early to Suzuki, Werder came under increasing pressure and conceded a second goal before halftime. The team found no answers after the break either, allowing two more goals from Suzuki. The current stats show four goals conceded from one game.
Who replaces the injured Jens Stage?
According to Bild Sport, Werder have loaned Dutch midfielder Youri Regeer from Ajax Amsterdam. The 23-year-old signed a one-year loan deal with a purchase option set at five million euros. Regeer is intended to fill the gap left by the long-term absence of Jens Stage. Stage suffered a serious thigh injury before the start of the season and is out until at least the end of the year.
At his presentation, Regeer said, "I want to take responsibility and I believe I can do that." The player showed goal-scoring qualities in his youth but failed to score last season at Ajax. Interestingly, Regeer chose the number 44 shirt, last worn by the much-criticised Victor Boniface. The Dutchman stressed that his choice had nothing to do with his predecessor but was linked to his debut.
What other transfers happened on Deadline Day?
Get German Football News reported the official signing of Brazilian full-back Arthur from Bayer Leverkusen. The 23-year-old also joins on loan until the end of the 2026/27 season, but without a fixed purchase option. Arthur is the 14th and final addition of this transfer window and, despite his young age, already has experience from 44 Bundesliga games and 13 Champions League appearances.
Earlier on Tuesday, Senegalese international Moussa Ndiaye had also arrived from RSC Anderlecht. The 24-year-old strengthens the left side of defence and can also play as a centre-back. Werder secured a purchase option for him, which sporting director Clemens Fritz described as advantageous. Arthur is now expected to bolster the right side and add more flexibility to the defence, something Thioune had demanded during pre-season.
How does the club assess the transfer window?
In a Deadline Day press conference covered by werder.de, the club's management gave an initial assessment. Stage's injury forced the team to make an unexpected adjustment to their squad planning in the final phase of the window. The loans for Regeer, Arthur and Ndiaye were the response to this blow.
The new players are intended to add extra quality and options to the squad. The sporting leadership emphasised that they had created new possibilities to respond to the challenges of the season. The current squad overview now shows the complete team for the coming months. The next task is the home game against RB Leipzig on 5 September 2026.
