Rising German talent Hennes Behrens (21) targets breakthrough Bundesliga season at Augsburg
· Yahoo Sports
Hennes Behrens appears set to assume an immediate starting role at Augsburg following Dimitrios Giannoulis’ return to PAOK. The Bundesliga club have officially sold Giannoulis in an unusual deal worth €4.25m after the Greek international pushed for a return to his homeland. Augsburg had nevertheless already prepared for his departure by signing Behrens from Hoffenheim for approximately €3.5m earlier this summer. Behrens registered one goal and two assists across 16 Bundesliga appearances whilst working on loan at Heidenheim during the second half of last season.
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Hennes Behrens targets starting role at Augsburg
Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum already appears prepared to deploy Behrens as his first-choice left wing-back. Kicker projects the youngster alongside Robin Fellhauer on the opposite flank in Baum’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. The youngster scored his first Augsburg goal during Wednesday’s 15-0 friendly victory over SC Schwaz.
Baum believes Behrens possesses the athleticism and personality required to quickly establish a connection with Augsburg supporters. The coach expects his runs down the left touchline to provide considerable energy at the WWK-Arena.
Behrens already demonstrated those qualities during Heidenheim’s late survival push last season. One memorable test came against Bayern Munich, when he was assigned to Michael Olise during a 3-3 draw.
Augsburg may still consider adding another option on the left, with Fellhauer capable of covering the position if required. For now, however, Giannoulis’ departure appears to have cleared a direct path for Behrens to establish himself as Baum’s new first-choice wing-back.
Behrens hopes to build on previous Bundesliga experience
Han-Noah Massengo has already been impressed by Behrens after previously facing the youngster during his loan spell with Heidenheim.
“Very good,” Massengo – as quoted by Kicker – said when asked about the newcomer. “I remember how we played against him and Heidenheim last season. I hope that we see more of that from him this season.”
Behrens himself believes Augsburg represents the ideal environment for the next stage of his development. A conversation with head coach Manuel Baum helped convince him to make the move.
“The human side and the values at the club suit me,” Behrens said. “Augsburg is great. It’s the logical and clear next step for me. My clear objective is to become a regular [Bundesliga] starter.”
His confidence stems partly from the Bundesliga experience gained during Heidenheim’s unsuccessful relegation battle.
“The matches were fun despite the defeats,” Behrens said. “It was the Bundesliga. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better.”