Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal is about to come to an end, as the Frenchman will depart the club at the end of this season. Following a dismal couple of seasons at the helm, the former Nancy manager lost the backing of club owner Stan Kroenke, which ultimately led to his sacking, as per some reports.
However, that being said, Arsenal have started their search for the replacement of Arsene Wenger with a number of top coaches already being linked with the club next season.
Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann has been one of the candidates to be linked with a move to Emirates this summer. Nagelsmann, who has earned loads of plaudits for being the most talented young manager in Germany, is currently the hottest managerial prospect in Europe.
With Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis promising to be bold, regarding his search for the replacement of Arsene Wenger, the appointment of the 30-year-old Julian Nagelsmann could prove to be a perfect fit for both the club as well as the coach.
Even though one might argue about Nagelsmann’s lack of experience in top-flight football, having managed in the Bundesliga for a little longer than two years, the young tactical genius can definitely bring in some much-needed changes at the Emirates.
One of the most prominent changes we might see is the vast change in Arsenal’s gameplay. Julian Nagelsmann likes to play with a fluid system with a narrow formation, making it easier for his team to press the opposition as a collective unit. At Hoffenheim, the likes of Nadiem Amiri, Florian Grillitsch and Kerem Demirbay all stick close to each other, in order to be more efficient in pressing phases, ultimately restricting the opposition from having too much time with the ball.
However, that being said, Arsenal won’t necessarily stop playing beautiful attacking football, largely due to Nagelsmann’s way of playing seamless one-touch football in the final third of the pitch. Fullbacks will emerge as one of the key parts of Arsenal’s setup, meaning Nacho Monreal might see his game time significantly lessened due to his lack of pace, ultimately paving the way for Sead Kolasinac.
Considering Arsenal’s superiority in the wide positions, Julian Nagelsmann won’t have any difficulties in integrating himself into his new team. In addition, the Gunners also have a packed attacking setup with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the charge. However, we might see Mesut Ozil operating from a little deeper position while Henrikh Mkhitaryan reverts back to his usual central attacking midfield position. His dynamism will surely be utilized perfectly by the 30-year-old.
However, the defence might remain an issue for Arsenal. The Gunners lack the presence of an imposing centre-back with Shkodran Mustafi failing to perform on a consistent basis. Therefore, Nagelsmann will likely sign Benjamin Hubner from Hoffenheim along with a top-class goalkeeper.
Currently, in his third season with Hoffenheim, Julian Nagelsmann’s huge impact at the club has been largely visible at the club in these past few seasons and it would be interesting to see if he can take up a bigger responsibility, should he join Arsenal next season. But one thing’s for sure, the 30-year-old has got everything it takes to succeed at the Emirates in the long term!
