Alder to decide on Hamburg move
Former Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler was set to return from a long injury layoff as reserve man in Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga match at SV Hamburg later Sunday but won't reveal until mid-April whether he will switch sides next season.
Adler, 27, has undergone the mandatory medical in Hamburg but said that a deal to join the struggling northern Germans on a free transfer is not finalized.
"I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Both sides want the issue settled by mid April. It shouldn't drag on any longer," Adler told the Bild am Sonntag Sunday paper.
"I must have the feeling that I am needed from a sporting point of view. I want to help develop something new. I have a lot of experience to pass on although I am only 27. I enjoy leading off the pitch and to be there for young players."
Adler did not want to say whether he would also go to Hamburg if the club was relegated.
Adler has not played in the top flight for almost a year because of knee surgery and lost his place as No 1 to youngster Bernd Leno. He has not played in the national team since injuring himself shortly before the 2010 World Cup, with Manuel Neuer now the starter.
"I know that I have the potential and the personality to return to where I was before. I want to prove that from summer onwards," he said.
