With the news that captain Aaron Hunt was leaving the club towards the end of last season, Bremen fans were fearing the worst. Hunt had been heavily linked with Turkish side Besiktas, and although that move failed to materialise, he did move on, albeit to another Bundesliga club in the form of Wolfsburg. In recent seasons, ever since winning the Pokal and being Europa League runners-up in 2009, Bremen have been dubbed one of Germany's 'fallen giants', seeing big name players transferring to new clubs, and Hunt is no exception. They did the Bundesliga/Pokal double just a decade ago, and also won the now extinct Liga-Pokal and Supercup. Yet since 2009, Bremen's success has dramatically dwindled. Supporters want the glory days to return.

However, their summer dealings haven't exactly been eye-catching. More have left than have arrived, with Hunt topping that list of departures. The man come in to replace him is Bosnian Izet Hajrovic, who has arrived from Galatasaray after just a 6-month spell in Turkey. A winger by trade, he will be expected to hit the ground running. He was part of Bosnia's first ever World Cup in Brazil and can speak fluently in Bosnian, English and most importantly German. Santiago Garcia has made his loan move from Palermo into a permanent one, whilst Alejandro Galvez has arrived from La Liga side Rayo Vallecano. 

Robin Dutt has plenty of midfield options to replace Hunt: Hajrovic, Ludovic Obraniak and Eljero Elia to name but three. But arguably the most exciting prospect for Bremen this season is Davie Selke. He was part of Germany's successful European U19 Championship campaign in Hungary, finishing the tournament as top scorer, finding the back of the net 6 times in just 5 games. Selke has placed himself into the limelight in Germany with his performances for the U19 team; 14 goals in 15 appearances suggests he is a proven goalscorer. With Bremen only managing a meagre 42 goals in the Bundesliga last season, Selke may well just be given his opportunity to lead the Bremen frontline.

On paper, it looks as if Bremen are in for another season of mid-table mediocrity. This isn't a squad which is packed full of star names, meaning the team collective is vital. They do, like many other Bundesliga clubs, have some young talent to look upon, Selke and Felix Kroos in this case. They do have an eye for a surprising result, their 3-0 pre-season victory against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea this past weekend showcasing that. But that's Bremen's problem: consistency. That is what has caused them to slump from regular challengers for the title to a side now looking over their shoulders at the relegation places. With Hunt, Bremen struggled. Without Hunt, Bremen will still struggle. Mind you, they're quite good at doing the Crossbar Challenge (head to the official Bundesliga YouTube channel to find out why).

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