"Hoffenheim Keeper Timo Hildebrand Could Return To Stuttgart - Report" aka "WHAT?!"
The future of experienced goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim is in further doubt as the 31-year-old has set his sights on a move to Stuttgart, as a report in Bild suggests.
The Schwaben are looking for a new shot-stopper due to the impending retirement of Jens Lehmann at the end of the season and Stuttgart were recently linked with a move for Hildebrand.
The former German international is a product of the Stuttgart youth academy and made well over 200 Bundesliga appearances for the Schwaben before leaving the club for Valencia in 2007.
His Spanish adventure didn't work out as expected though and Hildebrand returned to Germany with Hoffenheim in the 2008-09 campaign. Hildebrand has so far made 38 league appearances for the Sinsheim side.
However, Hildebrand is reportedly unhappy with the way things are going at Hoffenheim and is therefore eager to return to Stuttgart at the end of the current season.
It's from Goal.com so you have to take it with a grain/cup of salt. I've been reading other articles hinting at this as well, but none of them mentioned where exactly he might be going. There was also this quote from here that made me a bit curious:
"He has appeared 37 times for the club since joining from Valencia and has a clause written in his contract which means he will automatically receive an extension if he breaks the 40-game barrier. Otherwise, he can walk away on a free transfer in the summer. There have been rumours suggesting that the 31-year-old is feigning injury to enable him to walk away in the summer."
I highly doubt that is the case at all, but one never knows. It feels like Spring 2007 again, to be honest lol.