Wanderers bolster attacking stocks with Kwame Yeboah signing as they prepare for Melbourne City

Wanderers boss Markus Babbel’s overhaul of his squad is underway, with former Brisbane Roar forward Kwame Yeboah joining on the eve of a vital clash with Melbourne City.

Kwame Yeboah is heading back to Australia after four years.

Wanderers boss Markus Babbel’s overhaul of his squad is underway, with former Brisbane forward Kwame Yeboah joining on the eve of a vital clash with Melbourne City.

The 24-year-old won’t be eligible to face City on Tuesday night at ANZ Stadium, with the transfer window not opening until Thursday, but is likely to be the first of several new signings as Babbel seeks to refashion a squad for whom he has signed only two players.

With the club making clear that it is still “focused on success this season”, despite sitting eighth on the table, several existing players are likely to be told that they are free to find other clubs in the January window.

Kwame Yeboah is heading back to Australia after four years.

Yeboah returns to the A-League four years after signing for German side Borussia Mönchengladbach and making more than 50 appearances for the club’s second team.

The forward also had short stints with Paderborn and SC Fortuna Köln, but has signed with Western Sydney for the next two and a half years — it’s believed in the face of competition from other clubs.

Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas made clear the club expects Yeboah to make an immediate impact, after a stuttering first third of the campaign which has produced just two wins in nine games.

“Kwame is an exciting Australian player who we are delighted to be able to bring back to the A-League following his extended stay in Germany,” said Tsatsimas.

“Bringing in quality Australian players is essential in this league and in Kwame we believe we have secured a real talent, someone that we believe will add a little extra to our squad.

Kwame Yeboah enjoyed a stint in Germany with SC Fortuna Köln.

“As a club we are fully focused on having a successful season and making a strong impression on the league in 2019 and beyond.”

That begins on Tuesday night against a City side sitting in sixth spot and five points ahead of the Wanderers — making the game something of a six-pointer in terms of the finals positions.

A win would close the gap and start to narrow the Wanderers’ dangerously negative goal difference — and Babbel warned his players of the need to stay focused on their gameplan despite a relatively short turnaround since the 2-2 draw with Adelaide on Boxing Day.

“If you are a professional you have to handle this,” said Babbel who noted the rapid frequency of games from when he was a player in England.

“In Sydney it’s a little bit different because the fireworks are quite nice, but it’s part of your job as a professional.

Markus Babbel says the short turnaround is part of being a professional.

“Don’t celebrate too much, get to bed early, and it’s not a problem. Even with the heat, we don’t play until 8pm.

“We have trained not so hard, recovery is more important. I explained to the boys that Adelaide was a good example for us of what can happen if we stick to our structure and if we are disciplined.

“You saw for 30 minutes we dominated, but then for 10 minutes we lost our structure and Adelaide came back.”

Originally published as Wanderers bolster attacking stocks with Kwame Yeboah signing as they prepare for Melbourne City