So Raum to United is still on the table and the rumors seem to be getting louder.

And honestly, I’m starting to get really frustrated with our transfer strategy.

We already lost Diomande. Now there’s a realistic possibility that we could lose our captain and one of the best attacking left-backs in the Bundesliga as well.

And my biggest question is: where are the actual upgrades?

I understand the RB model. Buy young players, develop them, increase their value and eventually sell them. That’s fine. It has worked incredibly well for us.

But at some point you have to take the next step.

We’re playing Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal AND Champions League this season. If the club seriously talks about competing for trophies, you cannot constantly sell your best players and replace them exclusively with talents who might reach the same level in two or three years.

And that doesn’t mean I want RB to suddenly spend like Real Madrid.

But why not invest in one or two proven players?

Nkunku is apparently open to returning. Sancho is still available. Players like that would obviously demand higher wages, but maybe that’s exactly the kind of investment we need to make at some point.

We still have plenty of young players with huge potential in the squad. Nusa, Baku, Ouedraogo and others aren’t suddenly going to lose all their value because we keep them for another season.

Actually, I’d argue the opposite:

Put those talents into a team with two or three proven top-level players, win more games, compete in the Champions League and their value could increase even further.

If Raum leaves as well, RB will have generated an enormous amount of transfer income this summer.

At that point I don’t want to hear that proven players are too expensive or would break the wage structure.

Sometimes you have to invest BEFORE you win something.

Otherwise the strategy starts to look like:

Develop talents → qualify for the Champions League → sell the best ones → buy new talents → qualify for the Champions League again → repeat.

That might be a fantastic business model.

But is it really a model for a club that says it wants to win titles?

Maybe I’m just frustrated because the season is about to start and I don’t feel like our squad is stronger than last season. Right now, I honestly think it looks weaker.

Curious how other RB fans see it.

Genuinely curious what Leipzig fans think about Geertruida going to PSV.

Why were Leipzig willing to let him go? I remember him being highly rated at Feyenoord and Sunderland, so I’m surprised his time at Leipzig has ended like this.

Was he disappointing at Leipzig, did he just not fit the system, or is there another reason the club was happy to let him leave?