It is a tough position to hold down. Ask Juan Mata, who was Chelsea’s player of the year in 2012 and 2013, yet was pointed towards the exit as early as possible in 2014. Or consult Mohammed Salah, loaned out to Fiorentina last month a year and a handful of matches after being celebrated as the man to give extra zip to the attack of the Premier League leaders.
Back in Bundesliga
Likewise Schurrle, 24, has just discovered what it is to fall short of the exacting standards Jose Mourinho expects from his attacking midfielders at Chelsea. He has joined Wolfsburg, in his native Germany, after two-and-a-half years in London, and should make his debut for the Bundesliga’s closest chasers to Bayern Munich today against Hoffenheim. His last game in the German top flight was in May 2012 for Bayer Leverkusen, the club who launched his career. He signed off that day with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Nuremburg.
Wolves bear teeth
Schurrle joins a club in buoyant mood. Unbeaten in seven Bundesliga matches, Wolfsburg last week enjoyed the distinction of handing leaders Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season. Negotiations with Chelsea over Schurrle were well advanced before Wolfsburg’s 4-1 triumph. The home team were grateful that night for a dazzling show from Kevin de Bruyne, a former colleague of Schurrle’s at Chelsea and another attacking midfielder discarded by Mourinho in the past 18 months.
Speed and finishing
Schurrle will give extra pace to the Wolves. His speed with the ball is one of his best assets, but he has also developed as a finisher, a quality he showed effectively and crucially for Germany at the last World Cup. His goal settled a tight last-16 tie against Algeria and he scored twice in the semi-final trouncing of the hosts, Brazil.
National hero
He was used mainly as a substitute for Germany, for whom he has 42 caps, as they became world champions. His acceleration against tiring defences is a handy tool and one appreciated by Joachim Loew, Germany’s head coach. As at Chelsea, there is competition in the national set-up across the front four positions of the team, with Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Toni Kroos all contemporaries of Schurrle’s. But Schurrle, like Gotze, has earned his special place in German history. He provided the pass from which Gotze scored the only goal of the World Cup final against Argentina.
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