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Werder Bremen head coach, Horst Steffen criticized his club’s new “mega signing” Victor Boniface after Saturday’s home loss to SC Freiburg.
Valued at €40 million, Boniface is Werder Bremen’s most valuable player since Transfermarkt began recording figures in 2004, surpassing Milot Rashica’s peak valuation of €35 million in December 2019.
The 24-year-old Nigerian forward, who joined Werder on a last-minute loan move from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, entered the match after the hour mark with his team already trailing 2-0.
The Bayer Leverkusen loanee still hasn’t earned a start in two Bundesliga matchdays since joining the club. Steffen conveyed his displeasure with Boniface’s 30-minute-shift when speaking to Sky Germany.
Steffen admitted disappointment with his side’s display, particularly their lack of defensive discipline and energy in the closing stages.
He also singled out Boniface for drifting too much across the pitch.
“I felt he was too ‘everywhere’. It’s fine for him to be more central. It wasn’t the way I wanted it,” Steffen was quoted as saying by Transfermarkt.
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“It wasn’t just him, but a lot of players weren’t staying in their spaces. We have to be positionally consistent so that we can overload the attack every now and then. That’s an issue I’ll address.”
Boniface has so far played just 45 minutes across two appearances for Bremen, with Steffen emphasizing patience as the team adapts.
Despite the criticism, Werder’s management has expressed confidence in the Nigerian’s potential, with managing director Clemens Fritz recently revealing details of the transfer and describing Boniface as a key figure in the club’s plans to stabilize their attack this season.
In his second appearance for his new club, Boniface appeared to try and do too much off the bench and took noticeable liberties with his positioning. Instead of functioning as a straight center-forward, the 24-year-old dropped frequently dropped deep to try and win balls.
The 24-year-old’s attempt to help his team out remained commendable, but nevertheless also left him missing as a scoring threat up front.
Having previously lauded Boniface’s unparalleled potential, Steffen made clear yesterday that he wanted the €40m-valued plater to keep it simpler. Steffen will have to turn to Boniface to lead his attack eventually as he has no other real options. Before starting him, however, Steffen wants to see Boniface get back to basics.
