Tonight Glimt meets the Polish league champion Jagiellonia Białystok for the second match in the qualification for the Champions League. Glimt leads 1–0 from the first match and is guaranteed at least participation in the Europa League with promotion. It happens with an exceptionally broad player squad. For the people who work with player logistics in Glimt have not had any lazy days this summer. One new player after another has been signed in recent weeks: Isak Dybvik Määtä from Dutch Groningen was the first to enter the gates at Aspmyra on 12 July. Five days later, Glimt bought striker Andreas Helmersen from Egersund FK. A week after that, the Swedish winger Samuel Burakovsky was signed from Landskrona. Last weekend it became clear that Bodø/Glimt is also buying Sondre Auklend out of the contract with Viking. A transfer that created strong reactions in Stavanger as the 21-year-old did not want to extend his contract with Viking. The same weekend, the young Nigerian talent with the good-sounding name Gift Sunday was also ready for Glimt. A quick count shows that there are currently 32 players in the A squad for Bodø/Glimt. In comparison, English Arsenal have 24 players in their squad. In the Eliteserien, the average size of the squads is 26.6 players. – We don’t have as big a squad as people think, claims Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen to news. Isak Dybvik Määttä came from Dutch Groningen. He has a contract with Glimt until 2028. Andreas Helmersen was top scorer in the 1st division for Egersund before he went to Bodø/Glimt. He is said to have cost around NOK 5 million. He has a contract until 2027. Samuel Burakovsky came from Landskrona level 2 in Sweden. He has signed a contract until the 2028 season. Sondre Auklend comes from Viking and has been given a contract until the summer of 2028. According to Stavanger Aftenblad, Glimt will pay NOK 7-8 million to buy him out of his contract with Viking. 18-year-old Gift Sunday from Nigeria was on trial at Aspmyra and has impressed so much that he was bought by Bodø/Glimt. He has a contract until the summer of 2028. Among those who play the most matches in Europe, Knutsen believes that the many injuries and the workload means that the squad must be so large. Last year, Glimt played 54 games during the season. There were more matches than big clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea. Glimt is already guaranteed European games this autumn. – If you include everyone standing there, the squad is large. But we have too many injured, and with the fight we have, we need healthy players here and now. We deal with fresh produce, he adds. Before the match against Jagiellonia Białystok, Knutsen received some good news. Striker Runar Espejord is ready to play after half a year on the sidelines. This means that Glimt has four fresh strikers to choose from. – Every player who comes in makes us stronger and better in everyday training. It also gives us more to play on in the matches, explains Knutsen. – Can afford to experiment news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt says Glimt can afford to take some chances in the transfer market. JP Saltvedt believes Glimt can afford to take chances on the transfer market. Photo: Lars Thomas Nordby / news – The many purchases appear as a mixture of uncertainty and real need. Kjetil Knutsen has obviously not received the answers he wanted from the players they have bought ahead of this season. Then he wants alternatives. Glimt can afford to experiment and fumble a bit. He also points out that a large squad also presents challenges. – As long as you manage to keep central parts of the squad satisfied with the situation, then it is an advantage. But there is a reason why there are limits to how many ambitious players you can gather in one club without it working against its purpose. Chelsea is the archetype in recent years. – Fits very well in Glimt Knutsen says the latest signing, Gift Sunday, needs time before he will be eligible for a match squad. Sondre Auklend believes Knutsen can be ready much faster. – Sondre is an established player in the Eliteserien. He fits in very well with Glimt. He wants to have the ball and wants to make a difference on the pitch. An exciting young man who has grown up. Auklend had his breakthrough in Viking this spring, but was put on the sidelines when it became clear that he had signed for Glimt from the new year – despite the fact that he had a contract with Viking until the end of the year. According to Stavanger Aftenblad, Glimt paid between NOK 7 and 8 million to buy off the contract. – It means a lot that he comes to Glimt now. If he had to wait another four months to play matches, it would have been unfortunate, says Knutsen Sondre Auklend was ready for Glimt in August after a controversial transfer from Viking. Photo: Niklas Aune Johnsen / Bodø/Glimt Published 13.08.2024, at 15.11
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Bodø/Glimt has over 30 players in the squad – there must be that many, says Kjetil Knutsen – news Nordland
