Kruse capture continues construction of title-charging Wolfsburg squad
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Wolfsburg have been the closest challengers to Pep Guardiola’s Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this term, following a rampant rise to prominence and, after capturing Borussia Moenchengladbach frontman Max Kruse, they are aiming to compete with the Allianz Arena outfit next season.
Dieter Hecking’s impressive Wolves have been a stunning surprise package this season, after signing several star names which have propelled the Bundesliga battlers towards European and domestic campaigns.
In January last year, the club began building a squad that would eventually be capable of emulating Borussia Dortmund’s previous efforts of dethroning Bayern (33/1 with Coral for CL win) in Germany’s top-flight division, with Wolfsburg securing the marquee signings of former Chelsea misfit pair Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle.
Die Wolfe also brought in Denmark frontman Nicklas Bendtner on a free transfer from Arsenal, and snapped Aaron Hunt up from Werder Bremen.
To maintain a sustained sense of competition and forcefully challenge the Bavarians for Germany’s league crown next term, Wolfsburg have recently further bolstered their attacking options with the signing of Germany hitman Kruse, adding to other international forwards Bas Dost and Bendtner.
The 27-year-old striker has reached double figures in the Bundesliga this season, with only Bayern menace Thomas Muller and Eintract Frankfurt stalwart Alexander Meier scoring more from the domestic German contingent.
With three international forwards in their ranks, along with brilliant Belgium playmaker De Bruyne providing the creative spark, Hecking has managed to construct a superb side ahead of what could be another intriguing summer of further transfer activity.
Revamped Die Wolfe previously looked likely to clinch European silverware success, but a rare stuttering showing against Napoli saw them crash out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage, with Rafa Benitez’s Serie A side strutting towards glory (7/4 to triumph).
Although, despite Munich rampantly storming to a league title triumph, Wolfsburg will take comfort from Dortmund’s past glories, and are aiming to follow in the Black and Yellows’ impressive footsteps next season when contesting Guardiola’s dominant domestic force.
Under departing boss Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund rallied to back-to-back Bundesliga crowns in 2011 and 2012, having dispatched their bitter rivals Bayern in all four league meetings during those two title-triumphing campaigns, despite finishing fifth the season before their first domestic coup.
With Dortmund seemingly set for a period of transition when Klopp says goodbye after seven years in charge, Wolfsburg have showed similar credentials to that of the German boss’ former title-winning sides, as Die Wolfe only managed to finish fifth last term and incredibly stuttered to 11th-place the campaign before that.
Having mauled Munich 4-1 in January at the Volkswagen Arena, and climbing to second position, Wolfsburg are showing all the spectacular signs of following the same prestigious path as Dortmund, with next season set to be a defining campaign in the club’s history.
The capturing of in-form frontman Kruse has added undoubted class to their attacking line-up and, after another potentially proactive summer transfer window, Germany could soon see a new changing of the guard at the summit of its top-flight division.
