The winter transfer window opens on January 1. We look back at the most expensive winter transfers in the 2nd Bundesliga. Before the winter transfer window opens on January 1 and clubs once again have the opportunity to strengthen their squads with new players or sell players, we take a closer look at the most expensive winter transfers in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Although there is a world of difference between the transfer fees for the most expensive winter transfers in the Bundesliga and those in Germany’s second-highest division, there is still plenty of activity in the lower leagues during the winter.
10th place: Timo Gebhart, €3.2 million transfer fee
During the winter break of the 2008/09 season, 19-year-old Timo Gebhart made the leap to the Bundesliga, transferring from his youth club 1860 Munich to VfB Stuttgart for €3.2 million. The midfielder subsequently established himself at Stuttgart, playing a total of 96 games for the club, in which he scored ten goals and provided twelve assists.
9th place: Derrick Köhn, €3.35 million
After two years with Hannover 96, Derrick Köhn left the 2. Bundesliga and moved to Galatasaray Istanbul in February 2024. Hannover received a transfer fee of €3.35 million for the move. After six months in Turkey, Köhn was loaned to Werder Bremen and joined Union Berlin in the summer of 2025 for €4 million. Emil Forsberg, €3.7 million
In RB Leipzig’s first season in the second division, the club transferred €3.7 million to Swedish club Malmö FF for the services of Emil Forsberg at the beginning of January 2015. Although they only finished sixth at the end of the season, Leipzig were promoted directly to the Bundesliga a year later as runners-up.
7th place: Alessandro Schöpf, €5 million
During the winter break of the 2015/16 season, FC Schalke 04 transferred around €5 million to 1. FC Nürnberg to secure the services of Austrian player Alessandro Schöpf. After 143 appearances, 16 goals, and ten assists for the Royal Blues, the midfielder moved to Arminia Bielefeld on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. The 31-year-old is now back playing in his home country for Wolfsberger AC.
6th place: Omer Damari, €7 million
Like his former colleague Forsberg, Omer Damari moved to RB Leipzig in January 2015, but cost almost twice as much. Leipzig paid Austria Vienna €7 million for the striker before loaning him out to RB Salzburg after just six months, and subsequently to RB New York, Maccabi Haifa, and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
5th place: Jonas Urbig, €7 million
Bayern Munich also paid €7 million to Greuther Fürth during the 2024/25 winter break to secure the services of promising goalkeeper Jonas Urbig. In the current season, Urbig has played in goal for the record champions against Borussia Mönchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart, keeping a clean sheet on both occasions.
4th place: Finn Jeltsch, €9.5 million
In January 2025, 1. FC Nürnberg received a transfer fee of €9.5 million from VfB Stuttgart for center back Finn Jeltsch. Since the 19-year-old’s transfer, his market value has risen steadily and currently stands at €20 million.
3rd place: Santiago Ascacibar, €10 million
In January 2020, Hertha BSC, then in the top flight, transferred around €10 million to second-division VfB Stuttgart to secure the services of Argentine defensive midfielder Santiago Ascacibar. However, Ascacibar never really made his mark in Berlin and, after several loan spells, returned to his youth club Estudiantes LP in the summer of 2023 for €2.5 million.
2nd place: Stefanos Tzimas, €18 million
In the summer of 2024, 1. FC Nürnberg loaned 19-year-old Stefanos Tzimas from Greek club PAOK Saloniki. In 24 games for Nürnberg, Tzimas scored twelve goals and set up three more. The following winter, the club exercised its agreed purchase option of €18 million and signed the striker on a permanent basis.
1st place: Stefanos Tzimas, €26.5 million
Looking at the top two spots for the most expensive winter transfers in the 2. Bundesliga, two questions come to mind: How could 1. FC Nürnberg afford such a player in the first place, and why does Stefanos Tzimas occupy both first and second place? The answer is Brighton & Hove Albion. The English Premier League club showed interest in the striker and transferred €26.5 million to Nuremberg just one day after the purchase option was exercised, leaving the German second division club with a profit of around €8.5 million.
