Bittencourt and Grifo leave Hoffenheim for other Bundesliga clubs

''After sitting down to review the situation we decided to agree on the two transfers,'' said Alexander Rosen, Director of Football at TSG. ''We have to be honest about it: neither Vince nor Leo had carved out the place in our Bundesliga squad that both we and they had hoped for. Both players have always demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, but it's our responsibility as a club to analyse the situation objectively and to find appropriate solutions which also benefit us from an economic perspective,'' says Rosen.

The 26-year-old Grifo played for TSG between 2012 and 2015 before rejoining the club in 2018. His second spell in the Kraichgau saw him play in the first half of the 2018/19 season before going out on loan to SC Freiburg and then rejoining TSG in the summer. Since signing in 2018, he made a total of 20 appearances for TSG, scoring one goal in the process. After the successful loan deal last season, the two clubs have now agreed on a fixed transfer.

Leonardo Bittencourt (25) moved to Hoffenheim in the summer of 2018 after signing from 1. FC Cologne. He made a total of 22 appearances for TSG and scored one goal. He will spend the remainder of the season out on loan at Werder Bremen.