Jann-Fiete Arp fires Holstien Kiel to the top of the 2. Bundesliga
Do you recall the young kid whom Bayern Munich plucked from Hamburg SV in 2019 with so much potential? Yes, the same Jann-Fiete Arp that everyone thought Robert Lewandowski would one day replace.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way. Arp never settled in at Bayern, even with all the support, and Robert Lewandowski went for FC Barcelona.
At the beginning of the previous season, he moved to the north of Germany on a free transfer, making his loan to Holstein Kiel permanent. However, he didn’t make an impression during his first year at Kiel either, leading many to believe he would never achieve the success he was meant to.
But this season, he is dispelling all of his sceptics as he appears more assured than ever and has managed five goals and an assist in seven starts across ten games in the 2. Bundesliga. As Holstein Kiel pushes for promotion, he has shown promise each time he has taken the pitch.
This weekend, promotion rivals St. Pauli had an easier matchup against recently promoted Wehen Wiesbaden, while Kiel had a challenging matchup against Hannover 96. But as St. Pauli dropped points for the second straight game, Kiel cruised to a 3-0 victory led by a solid brace from Arp, catapulting Kiel to the top of the 2. Bundesliga as the Hinrunde came to a close.
The smile on his face tells it all: it’s wonderful to watch the person who was once a tiny teenager with the whole world at his feet regain his shape. Even though things didn’t work out in Munich, we might see him and Kiel (with intense flashbacks) in the Bundesliga the following season, which could make their matchup with FC Bayern intriguing.
You may appreciate his brace in the final two BL matchday of 2023 by watching the highlights of the game versus Hannover. #ArpTrain continues to progress!