Werder Bremen’s Samuel Mbangula is reportedly on the verge of returning to Serie A, with Bologna finalizing a deal for the Belgian winger after overtaking Atalanta in the race for his signature. According to Sky Italia, Bologna is working to complete a season-long loan that includes a purchase option for the 22-year-old. Kicker confirms Mbangula’s imminent departure but leaves open the possibility of a permanent sale.
A Short-Lived Bremen Experiment
The prospective departure comes just 13 months after Bremen paid €10 million to acquire Mbangula from Juventus. That transfer made the Belgian the second-most expensive signing in Werder’s history at the time, reflecting the club’s enormous faith in his potential to become a central figure in their attack. However, that promise was only sporadically fulfilled.
Mbangula initially showed encouraging signs after arriving from Turin. By early October, he had accumulated five goal contributions in his first six Bundesliga matchdays. After scoring against St. Pauli, Mbangula acknowledged that he was still adjusting to German football but promised supporters that they would eventually see him at his best.
The anticipated breakthrough never fully materialized. Mbangula finished his first Bundesliga campaign with three goals and four assists in 29 appearances, starting only 12 times. Injuries, positional experimentation, and Bremen’s wider attacking problems all complicated his debut season. Daniel Thioune attempted to restore the former Juventus youngster to a more natural attacking role during the summer, with Get German Football News examining the attempted Mbangula reset in their 2026/27 Werder Bremen tactical preview.
That rehabilitation attempt now appears likely to end prematurely. Mbangula was substituted at half-time during Bremen’s DFB-Pokal opener and remained unused in Sunday’s 4-1 Bundesliga defeat at Freiburg. Werder subsequently excused him from Monday training to conduct transfer talks.
Bologna Overtake Atalanta
Atalanta initially appeared the likeliest destination. Werder were reportedly discussing a loan with the Bergamo club because Bremen remained reluctant to completely write off a player on whom they had invested €10 million only a year earlier.
Bologna then intervened. The change appears connected to another Serie A transfer domino, with Atalanta moving for Bologna attacker Jonathan Rowe. Bologna consequently entered the market for another attacking option and moved quickly for Mbangula.
A loan with a purchase option now appears to provide a compromise for Bremen. The structure gives Mbangula the fresh start he reportedly desires without forcing Werder to immediately crystallize a substantial loss on one of the largest investments in club history.
Bologna head coach Domenico Tedesco also knows the winger from his spell in charge of Belgium. Tedesco handed Mbangula his first senior national-team call-up in November 2024, although the attacker is still awaiting his senior international debut.
Thioune Accepts Mbangula's Desire for a Change
Thioune has now openly acknowledged that Mbangula’s first year in Bremen failed to deliver consistent results.
“The player spent twelve months trying to integrate and bring his potential onto the pitch,” the Bremen coach explained. “That only worked in certain situations. If it is therefore the player’s wish to make a change, then you have to accept that.”
Mbangula’s potential exit also feeds directly into Bremen’s wider deadline plans. Get German Football News reported earlier on Monday that Mbangula was one of several possible departures capable of creating additional financial room for Werder’s frantic late transfer work. Bremen are attempting to reinforce several positions after Jens Stage’s serious injury forced the club to revise its plans at short notice.
A return to Italy now appears increasingly likely to bring Mbangula’s difficult Bremen spell to at least a temporary conclusion. What began as one of the most ambitious purchases in Werder history could therefore end after little more than one Bundesliga season, with Bologna offering the Belgian attacker an opportunity to restart his career in the country where it first began to gather momentum.
