The winter transfer window opens on January 1. We take a look back at the most expensive winter transfers in the 2. Bundesliga.
Before the winter transfer window opens on January 1 and clubs once again have the opportunity to strengthen their rosters with new players or sell players, we’ll take a closer look at the most expensive winter transfers in the 2. Bundesliga.
Although there’s 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’s still plenty of activity in the second division during the winter.
No. 10: Timo Gebhart, 3.2 million euros transfer fee
During the winter break of the 2008–09 season, the then-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 euros. The midfielder subsequently established himself with the Swabians and played a total of 96 matches for VfB, scoring ten goals and providing twelve assists.
No. 9: Derrick Köhn, 3.35 million euros
After two years with Hannover 96, Derrick Köhn left the 2. Bundesliga and joined Galatasaray Istanbul in February 2024. Hannover received a transfer fee of 3.35 million euros for him. After six months in Turkey, Köhn was loaned to Werder Bremen and joined Union Berlin in the summer of 2025 for four million euros.
No. 8: Emil Forsberg, 3.7 million euros
In RB Leipzig’s first season in the second division, the club paid 3.7 million euros to the Swedish club Malmö FF for the services of Emil Forsberg in early January 2015. Although the team finished the season in sixth place, Leipzig was promoted directly to the Bundesliga a year later as the second-place finisher.
No. 7: Alessandro Schöpf, 5 million euros
During the winter break of the 2015–16 season, FC Schalke 04 paid approximately five million euros to 1. FC Nürnberg to secure the services of Austrian midfielder 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 in his home country, playing for Wolfsberger AC.
No. 6: Omer Damari, 7 million euros
Omer Damari, just like his former teammate Forsberg, joined RB Leipzig in January 2015, but cost nearly twice as much. Leipzig paid seven million euros to Austria Vienna for the forward before loaning him out to RB Salzburg after just half a year, and subsequently to RB New York, Maccabi Haifa, and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
No. 5: Jonas Urbig, 7 million euros
Bayern Munich also paid 7 million euros to Greuther Fürth during the winter break of the 2024–25 season to add goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, a promising young player, to their ranks. This season, Urbig has started in goal for the record champions against Borussia Mönchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart, keeping a clean sheet in both matches.
4th place: Finn Jeltsch, 9.5 million euros
In January 2025, 1. FC Nürnberg received a 9.5 million euro transfer fee from VfB Stuttgart for center back Finn Jeltsch. Since the now 19-year-old’s move, his market value has risen steadily and currently stands at 20 million euros.
3rd place: Santiago Ascacibar, 10 million euros
In January 2020, Hertha BSC—then in the top division—paid approximately 10 million euros to second-division club VfB Stuttgart to secure the services of Argentine defensive midfielder Santiago Ascacibar. In Berlin, however, Ascacibar never really established himself, and after several loan spells, he returned to his youth club, Estudiantes LP, in the summer of 2023 for 2.5 million euros.
2nd Place: Stefanos Tzimas, 18 million euros
In the summer of 2024, 1. FC Nürnberg signed 19-year-old Stefanos Tzimas on loan from the Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki. In 24 matches for Nuremberg, Tzimas scored twelve goals and set up three more. The following winter, the club exercised the agreed-upon purchase option of 18 million euros and signed the forward on a permanent basis.
1st Place: Stefanos Tzimas, 26.5 million euros
Looking at the top two spots on the list of the most expensive winter transfers in the 2. Bundesliga, two questions come to mind: How could 1. FC Nürnberg even afford such a player, 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 euros 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 euros.
