Hamburger SV’s sporting director, Frank Arnesen, has been known to have a keen eye for talent. It was most visible during his first coaching role at PSV, where he unearthed gems such as Ronaldo, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy. To be able to recognize the best talents around the world is indeed a remarkable task, and his future recommendations were to be taken seriously. Following this commendable time at PSV, Arnesen spent a troubled period at Tottenham, after which he moved to another London based club, Chelsea.
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Frank Arnesen : Responsible for Töre's rise in Bundesliga
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Although most people associate Chelsea to big money moves, Arnesen did bring in a bunch of youngsters for small amounts of money. If history was anything to go by, these signings of Arnesen’s were set for big things. They were the future of football. Amongst these youngsters that Arnesen enticed to Chelsea was a Turkish seventeen-year-old, Gökhan Töre.
Töre was an integral part of Chelsea’s reserve team, but a senior team appearance eluded him throughout his two year stint at London. The best that Töre could manage was a cameo off the bench in a friendly against Crystal Palace. Töre’s career was clearly at the cross roads then.
Arnesen left Chelsea in 2010, moving to Germany to take over as HSV’s sporting director from the start of the 2011-12 season. Arnesen’s unwavering belief in the youngsters he had brought to Chelsea saw him drag them along to Imtech Arena. Töre was one of them.
Although HSV’s turbulent season saw them change managers on three occasions and finish in a lowly fifteenth position, Töre had a fairly fruitful season. The versatile winger was crucial in HSV’s relegation battle, assisting six out of HSV’s total of thirty five goals in the Bundesliga.
Why Leave Hamburger SV?
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Töre's career at Imtech Arena has come to an abrupt end
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Töre’s career at HSV seems set to end this summer, and there are two primary reasons for this. Firstly, Töre hasn’t been getting along with Thorsten Fink, who has deemed Töre surplus at the club. It was reported that Töre’s attitude is what has forced Fink to lose faith in the player. Secondly, HSV are looking to offload some of their players over the summer in order to make some money and with Töre’s behavioral issues, his sale seems imminent.
Töre’s career seemed to be going perfectly with ‘The Dinosaur’ and his departure from Hamburg could be a huge blow to his career. Hamburg may be keen to sell the player, but are there clubs looking to get Töre on their roster?
Where Next For Gökhan Töre?
Reports suggest that Rubin Kazan and Galatasaray are interested in the 20-year-old. For someone with such immense talent, a move to either Russia or Turkey seems a huge step down. But, in retrospect, a transfer to one of the big clubs would most surely end up in disaster. Töre needs another season to prove his worth and gain enough experience to be ready for one of Europe’s big leagues.
Rubin Kazan are no more the force that they were at the end of the last decade. Yet, they have managed to sneak a Europa League spot – more incentive for Töre to move there. The presence of a former Turkish international, Gökdeniz Karadeniz, could also be a decisive factor in Töre’s decision. Not a Russian powerhouse but surely one with a huge amount of potential, Rubin Kazan seems like a healthy home for Gökhan Töre.
If Karadeniz is incentive for Töre to move to Kazan, Galatasaray automatically becomes first choice for the Turkish international. Galatasaray are undoubtedly at the top of their game and Fatih Terim’s offensive style of play will greatly help in Töre’s growth. Another point in favor of Galatasaray is their participation in the Champions League, thus giving Töre a chance to shine at the biggest stage.
A return to his homeland or a move to the synthetic fields of Russia, Töre is in for a whole new challenge. The hype surrounding him is diminishing and a move to a smaller league seems perfect for Töre to get back to making a name for himself.
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