Werder Bremen have made tying Franco Di Santo to a new contract their "top priority" following the decision to sell youngster Davie Selke.
Bremen announced on Wednesday that attacker Selke will head to German second-tier club RB Leipzig this summer for a reported fee of €8 million.
With Selke claiming last year when extending his Bremen contract that staying at the club was a "matter of the heart" for him, some fans were quick to call the 20-year-old a "mercenary." During a Bremen training session on Wednesday, Selke was protected by a bodyguard, according to Kreiszeitung.
Bremen CEO Thomas Eichin, however, explained on the club's official website that "the financial implications [of the deal] are very attractive for us. They give us scope for the shaping of our squad."
Kreiszeitung added that Bremen had put the youngster on the market to reduce the club's budget deficit.
With Selke on his way out of the club, the focus has now turned to securing the future of Di Santo, whose current deal is due to expire in 2016.
"[Coach] Viktor [Skripnik] wants me to tie Franco Di Santo to a new deal," Eichin said. "It's our top priority now to bind him to the club on a long-term deal."
Di Santo has scored 12 goals in just 18 Bundesliga games this season and has been linked with a return to the Premier League in recent weeks, having previously played for Chelsea, Blackburn and Wigan in England's top tier.