Werder Bremen Confirms Departure of Isak Hansen-Aarøen to NEC Nijmegen

Werder Bremen has formally announced the permanent departure of Norwegian attacking midfielder Isak Hansen-Aarøen to NEC Nijmegen. The 21-year-old, who previously came from the Manchester United academy, leaves Bremen nearly two years after his arrival on the winter 2024 transfer deadline day. Hansen-Aarøen’s time at Bremen was largely unsuccessful, as he managed only four first-team appearances over the span of two years.

Following his return from a loan spell at Aalborg BK in Denmark during the spring of 2024, Hansen-Aarøen was deemed surplus to requirements within the Bundesliga club, with little expectation for his future during both the summer and winter transfer windows.

Bremen had acquired Hansen-Aarøen from Manchester United for a reported fee of €200,000, but details regarding the financial arrangement with Nijmegen have yet to be disclosed.

Fortunately for the Bremen management, the transfer of Hansen-Aarøen had been in progress prior to the recent upheaval within the club.

Earlier today, it was confirmed that head coach Horst Steffen had been dismissed, prompting Clemens Fritz, the club’s chief personnel executive, to engage in extensive damage control efforts throughout the day.

Fritz’s Sunday was consumed by press conferences and media discussions, where he assured stakeholders that an external candidate would be sought for the vacant head coach position, though he struggled to articulate the process for this search. Consequently, it was sporting director Peter Niemeyer who addressed the media regarding the Hansen-Aarøen transfer.

“It’s no secret that we have been working with Isak to find a solution that would further his sporting prospects,” Niemeyer stated in a club announcement. “We have now found that solution with a transfer to Nijmegen.”