Serge Gnabry (Part 1)
Serge Gnabry (Part 1)
Serge Gnabry began his professional football career in England with Arsenal in the Premier League, where he made his debut in September 2012. During his time with Arsenal, he also had a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion. However, in 2016, Gnabry decided to return to Germany and joined Werder Bremen.
In 2017, Gnabry made a significant move to Bayern Munich, one of Germany's top clubs. However, he was loaned to 1899 Hoffenheim for the 2017–18 season. Despite the loan spell, Gnabry's talent and potential were evident, and he returned to Bayern Munich for the 2018–19 season. This season proved to be highly successful for him as he not only won the Bundesliga title with Bayern but was also named the club's Player of the Season.
Gnabry's impact continued to grow, and in the following season, he played a crucial role as Bayern Munich achieved a continental treble, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA Champions League. During this season, Gnabry scored an impressive 23 goals, showcasing his attacking prowess and contributing significantly to Bayern's success.
On the international stage, Gnabry has represented Germany at various youth levels before making his senior debut in November 2016 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against San Marino. In that match, he made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick in an 8–0 victory for Germany. Gnabry continued to be a key player for the German national team, representing them at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, demonstrating his importance both at the club and international levels.
Serge Gnabry's journey to Arsenal began when his former club VfB Stuttgart agreed to a 100,000 deal with the Premier League club in 2010. However, due to age restrictions, Gnabry had to wait until 2011, when he turned 16, to officially join Arsenal. He became a part of Arsenal's setup for the 2011–12 season.
Initially, Gnabry played for Arsenal under 18 team for the majority of the season. However, his talent and potential were quickly recognized, leading to his promotion to the reserves after impressive performances. During his time with the reserves, Gnabry continued to showcase his abilities and made a notable impact.
By the end of the 2011–12 season, Gnabry had made six appearances for Arsenal's reserves, finding the back of the net on two occasions. His promising displays at such a young age hinted at a bright future ahead, laying the groundwork for his eventual rise to prominence in the world of professional football.The 2012–13 season marked Serge Gnabry's emergence into the Arsenal first team. It began with his inclusion in the squad for a pre-season friendly against FC Köln, where he made a 24-minute appearance as a substitute. Shortly after, on 26 September 2012, Gnabry made his professional first-team debut for Arsenal in a League Cup match against Coventry City, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute.
His Premier League debut followed on 20 October 2012, in a match against Norwich City, making him Arsenal's second-youngest player in the league's history at the age of 17 years and 98 days. Just four days later, Gnabry made his UEFA Champions League debut as a substitute in Arsenal's home loss to Schalke 04.
In the 2013–14 season, Gnabry continued to make strides. He made his first start for Arsenal in a Premier League match against Stoke City on 22 September 2013, replacing Theo Walcott who was ruled out due to injury. Gnabry scored his first professional goal in the following league match against Swansea City, helping Arsenal to a 2–1 victory and putting them at the top of the Premier League table.
His impressive performances earned him a nomination for the 2013 Golden Boy Award and a new five-year contract with Arsenal. Throughout the season, Gnabry made a total of 14 appearances, including standout performances in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry, contributing to Arsenal's triumph in the tournament that year.
However, Gnabry's progress was hindered in the subsequent 2014–15 season due to a serious knee injury, which sidelined him for over a year, causing him to miss a significant portion of the campaign.
Serge Gnabry's loan spell at West Bromwich Albion during the 2015–16 season did not go as planned. After joining the club on a season-long loan on 7 August 2015, he made his debut as a substitute in a Premier League match against Chelsea on 23 August 2015. However, despite this debut, Gnabry struggled to secure regular playing time under manager Tony Pulis.
Following his debut, Gnabry did not make any further league appearances for West Brom. Manager Tony Pulis expressed his opinion in October that Gnabry was not at the required level to feature for the club. As a result, Gnabry found himself sidelined and lacking first-team opportunities.
Gnabry was recalled from his loan spell by Arsenal due to his lack of playing time at West Brom. He returned to Arsenal after making just one Premier League appearance and two League Cup appearances for West Bromwich Albion throughout the entire 2015–16 season.
After his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, Serge Gnabry made a permanent move to the Bundesliga, signing for Werder Bremen on 31 August 2016 for a reported transfer fee of £5 million. This move came after Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger had intended to extend Gnabry's contract at Arsenal, but due to a lack of first-team opportunities, Gnabry sought a move elsewhere.
Gnabry made an impact early on at Werder Bremen, scoring his first goal for the club on 17 September 2016 in a match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, although Werder Bremen ultimately lost the game 4–1.During his single season at Werder Bremen, Gnabry made 27 league appearances and scored 11 goals. Despite his contributions, Werder Bremen finished 8th in the Bundesliga that season. Gnabry's performances drew attention, leading to further opportunities in his career.
Bayern Munich announced the signing of Serge Gnabry on a three-year contract for €8 million after activating a clause in his contract with Werder Bremen. However, on 14 June, Bayern Munich further announced that Gnabry would be moving to TSG Hoffenheim on a season-long loan. Gnabry had expressed his desire for the move to gain more experience.
During his loan spell at Hoffenheim, Gnabry made a significant impact. He scored his first and second league goals in a 4–0 victory over RB Leipzig. Throughout the season, he scored a total of 10 goals in 22 appearances, contributing significantly to Hoffenheim's third-place finish in the league table and securing a Champions League spot for the next season.
In addition to his league performances, Gnabry also made an appearance in the Regionalliga Südwest for the reserve team. Overall, he finished the 2017–18 season with 10 goals in 26 appearances for Hoffenheim, showcasing his talent and potential at the top level of German football.
References
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