Arsenal are looking at TSG Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann as a potential successor for Arsene Wenger.
With rumours of Arsenal preparing to draw an end to manager Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign at the club gaining weight with every passing day, a report from the Daily Star (h/t Daily Mail) claims that the club have identified TSG Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann as an option replace the Frenchman.
Wenger has come under intense scrutiny of late, following their successive 3-0 defeats against Manchester City in the space of four days – first in the Carabao Cup final at the Wembley Stadium last Sunday, which was followed by a trouncing at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Thursday night.
The results compounded on what had been a below-par season for Arsenal considering they have already been pretty much knocked out of the race for the top four in the English top-flight and had faced an early exit from the FA Cup as well. This has left Wenger in a precarious position and it is believed that the club hierarchy are looking to change things at the end of the season.
It is understood that an end-of-season review will play a key role in what course the North London outfit decides to take with regards to the manager’s future and a lot will depend on whether Arsenal manage to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
The chances of them making it via the Premier League look bleaker with each passing game however, considering that they are sixth in the table, ten points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the UEFA Europa League as Wenger’s best bet to take his side back to Europe’s premiere football tournament.
Earlier, it had been reported that Arsenal had already begun drawing out a list of potential replacements should they decide to bring an end to Wenger’s reign at the club, with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, Germany head coach Joachim Low and Manchester City assistant coach and former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta understood to be the top options.
And now, it seems Nagelsmann has also been added as another possible candidate to take over the reins at the Emirates from Wenger. The German manager came into the limelight when he became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history after taking over at Hoffenheim in February 2016 at the age of 28.
Having led the club away from the threat of relegation with seven wins in 14 games in the business end of the 2015/16 season, Nagelsmann masterminded a brilliant 2016/17 campaign, leading Hoffenheim to a fourth-placed finish in the Bundesliga and qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. They currently sit ninth in the German top-flight.
Nagelsmann may have failed to reach the heights of the last season with Hoffenheim this time around, but it is believed that his footballing philosophy and ideologies sit in well with what Arsenal have in mind for their future. However, the 30-year old’s lack of experience at the topmost level could prove to be a hindrance should his name be seriously considered for the candidature at the end of the season.
