Why David Wagner should offload Collin Quaner this summer
Huddersfield Town didn’t enjoy a good start to the new Premier League campaign as they were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea in front of their home support.
Huddersfield defied expectations by sealing their survival in the Premier League last season but manager David Wagner faces an even bigger task this time around. Wagner selected a side that was swept away by Chelsea and the Terriers boss is expected to go at the drawing board ahead of the game against Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.
Failing to score in 21 of the 38 matches last term represents a serious problem for Huddersfield. And going by the club’s summer transfer activity, Wagner has addressed the problem by bolstering his attacking options but the question lies, has he addressed it sufficiently?
Taking Huddersfield’s first game into account, it is safe to say the forwards rarely threatened Chelsea’s backline. Most surprisingly, Wagner left one of his trusted members of last season out of the squad that lost to Chelsea, i.e. Collin Quaner.
Quaner joined Huddersfield from Union Berlin in January 2017, signing a three-and-a-half year contract. He instantly became a fan favourite after scoring his first goal for the club on his debut against Rochdale in the FA Cup. The German-born Ghanaian seamlessly slotted into Wagner’s starting XI, playing a vital role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League.
Quaner made 22 appearances in all competitions in the Championship, scoring three goals. After a successful first four months with Huddersfield, expectations were high from the 28-year-old to help the club avoid relegation from the Premier League last term. While the Terriers did manage to narrowly avoid relegation, Quaner simply underwhelmed.
The Ghanaian, who was consistently delivering the goods in the Championship, terrorising defences with his pace and power, rarely showed those abilities in the Premier League despite making 30 appearances across all competitions. Quaner struggled to find his feet in the Premier League but Wagner continued to show faith in the winger, perhaps expecting he will sooner or later click. But it never worked out and in spite of getting a sustained run in the team, Quaner went goalless the entire season.
Huddersfield’s entire attack flopped last time out, with both Laurent Depoitre and Steve Mounie – capable of firing double-figures in a league campaign – were left frustrated due to a lack of service from their teammates. The wingers weren’t able to rise to the tough challenge of fulfilling both defensive and the offensive duties.
Read more: Opinion: Early season struggles show Huddersfield Town may find it tough to avoid relegation
Expectations were really high from Quaner and while he played 30 times last season, there were only a few notable moments of his flair. Now that the likes of Ramadan Sobhi and Adama Diakhaby have come in – both nippy and skillful wingers, it is the perfect time for Wagner to offload Quaner, the player who showed early promise but faded with time.