Bundesliga
Germany striker off to England
Werder Bremen have confirmed the departure of Marvin Ducksch after the striker completed a transfer to Birmingham City in England’s Championship.
Ducksch scored 54 goals in 134 competitive appearances for Bremen after joining in summer 2021, playing a key role in their year-on-year improvement.
“I look back on four successful years in Bremen in which I was able to experience so many brilliant moments,” Ducksch told Werder's official website.
“Werder was a special chapter in my career and one that I will always have fond memories of. Now I have chosen to embrace a new challenge, one that I look forward to greatly."
Watch: All of Duksch's Bundesliga goals
He added: "I thank my teammates, the people in charge of the club, the fans, and the staff at the club, who have all supported me during my time in Bremen.”
The now 31-year-old hit 20 goals in only 29 Bundesliga 2 outings as Die Grünweißen secured an immediate return to the top flight in his first season, before hauls of 12, 12 and eight – plus a total of 23 assists – in three Bundesliga campaigns, contributing to finishes of 13th, ninth and then eighth for the northern club.
That form saw him earn two senior Germany caps at the age of 29 in November 2023, while his first two years at the Weserstadion were famed for his prolific partnership with Niclas Füllkrug, with the pair giving themselves the tongue-in-cheek nickname of the ‘Ugly Ducklings’.
Watch: Every Ducksch and Füllkrug goal in 2022/23
After coming through the youth ranks at Borussia Dortmund before a long way to the top via Paderborn, St. Pauli, Holstein Kiel, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Hannover, Ducksch now follows his old partner-in-crime to England, after Füllkrug joined West Ham United from Dortmund in 2024.
Ducksch is the latest signing for Tom Brady-backed Birmingham after they regained promotion back to the Championship and are now pushing for a return to the Premier League.
Bremen begin life under new coach Horst Steffen away at Arminia Bielefeld in the first round of the DFB Cup on Friday, 8 August. Their opening Bundesliga fixture is away at Eintracht Frankfurt the following Saturday.