Wag a wanted man
DAVID WAGNER is battling to keep Huddersfield in the Premier League – and the Terriers could face a fight to keep him too.
The Town boss produced one of the managerial achievements of last season when he led the club to promotion to the Premier League. And for most of this campaign, the German manager has looked like keeping Huddersfield in the top flight.
That is despite having neither the resources nor strength of squad that his rivals possess.
But it has become so tight at the bottom of the table that Huddersfield’s Premier League status is now under serious threat and they have a tough run-in, starting today against champions Manchester City at The Etihad.
Yet that has not diminished Wagner’s achievements in the eyes of other clubs and he has even been linked with Chelsea if Antonio Conte, as expected, leaves Stamford Bridge in the summer.
That might seem unlikely but his former club Borussia Dortmund – where he worked with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – are eyeing his situation. Southampton could also be a potential destination for Wagner (left) if Mark Hughes does not remain at St Mary’s beyond the end of the season.
And then there is the intriguing possibility of Klopp sounding out his close friend about a reunion at Anfield, following the shock absence of his right-hand man Zeljko Buvac.
Personal reasons have been cited but Buvac, 56, is being touted to be Arsene Wenger’s successor at Arsenal. That sounds doubtful but Buvac has also been linked with a return to Germany to take charge of Eintracht Frankfurt.
It is a situation that will be resolved at the end of the season – when Wagner’s future will become clear too. The Huddersfield boss, who signed a new two-year deal after promotion, is booked in for talks with chairman Dean Hoyle.
Meanwhile, Wagner says he will be doing his best to rain on City boss Pep Guardiola’s title parade in the search for the vital points the Terriers need to avoid the drop.
He said: “The chances of winning are probably not the highest but if there is one football club who knows anything is possible then it is us.”
But Wagner was quick to praise the City boss. He added: “He is for me the best. He has shown it in three different countries. In Spain with Barcelona, in Germany with Bayern and now here in England with City.”