By Ben McFadyean. Bundesliga new boys Holstein Kiel have struggled to assert themselves and are in seventeenth place. Midfielder Magnus Knudsen from Russian side Rostov was the only major signing. These were joined by Poland international left-back Tymoteusz Puchacz, who left Kiel for Plymouth Argyle earlier this month.
In the January window, the Storks Sporting director Carsten Wehnmann recognized the need to shore up a side that conceded 48 goals in the first half of the season. The additions to the side are starting to have an impact. The Storks are on a roll and have been particularly impressive in recent matches, especially in their win over BVB and win against twelfth-placed Augsburg. If their progression continues, Holstein will show the much-needed metal needed to survive the fierce relegation battle this season.
Going into their virgin Bundesliga season, Holstein could count on a striker who has been regarded as a German talent of a generation, former U19 international centre-forward Jann-Fiete Arp. Scoring over goals from U14 to U19 levels is an impressive achievement that ranks him among the best in German football history at that level.
In the season alone, Arp scored 25 goals in 44 appearances. That was enough to earn a professional contract with Hamburger SV at just The 1. The towering 1. Despite his 17 goals in 18 games at the U17 level, Arp dropped off the radar of Hanno Baltisch, the U19 Germany coach, and has not been called up at a higher level either since. Since returning to his home state of Schleswig-Holstein, things have looked up. The North German has made 63 appearances with the Pokal semi-finalists.
Despite some impressive performances, predominantly in the second line, only three goals have paid off for the club between May 21 and August Last season, the North German striker finally got into his groove and started to look like the player he had long expected to be. Despite an injury that kept him out of the side for eight weeks, he scored nine goals in the league and one in the DFB Pokal.
