The German international has said that playing in the Champions League is important for his career, and therefore a decisive factor regarding his decision on which club to play for. "To be honest, this is something I have to consider when thinking about next season," the 23-year-old commented.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt have been one of the surprises of the season, with the previously unheralded side having reached the semifinals of the Europa League, narrowly losing on penalties to Premier League giants Chelsea.

But with the season's finish line in sight, there are questions over whether the squad has reached its limit after an energy-sapping year. Fail to perform in their last match away at Bayern Munich, and Adi Hutter's side are in danger of gambling away their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League and even the Europa League.

Frankfurt's recent dip in form is symptomatic of smaller clubs who find themselves in European competition, with a small squad of players unable to cope with the rigors of playing two games a week.

Frankfurt's European heroics came as the club steadily lost ground in the Bundesliga, and failure to qualify for continental football next season would represent a significant setback in their attempt to close the gap to the bigger sides.

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