After Manuel Neuer (l.) was injured, Yann Sommer (r.) should temporarily guard the Bayern goal.Image: imago sport photo service / imago images
Bundesliga
Sven Ulreich has been the second goalkeeper at FC Bayern for more than seven years. He has had to step in a total of 86 times, and the 34-year-old has never disappointed. Bayern boss Oliver Kahn describes Ulreich as a “trusted and reliable top-class goalkeeper.”
In the course of the upcoming second half of the season, Bayern still don’t want to rely on Ulreich alone. After Manuel Neuer’s skiing accident, the record champion wants to hit the transfer market instead. Not an easy project in the middle of the season, as the CEO explained in an interview with “picture” reveals.
Manuel Neuer wanted to relax while skiing after the World Cup.Image: www.imago-images.de / ActionPictures
“Replacing Manuel Neuer during the winter break is of course extremely difficult, especially since not many clubs want to give up their number 1.”, Kahn explains the bad timing. Therefore, the Bayern bosses are currently dealing with several “options”.
Gladbach is looking for a summer successor at Swiss “Nati”
A return campaign by Alexander Nübel, who is currently on loan to AS Monaco until the end of the season, would have been the first choice. For their part, the Monegasques are fighting for the European Cup places and did not want to give up their secure support in the middle of the season. In general, it is questionable whether Nübel wants to return after the season.
Other top goalkeepers – several of whom were the focus of attention at the World Cup – might be available, but they would be relatively expensive as an interim solution.
Exception: Yann Sommer. His contract expires in the summer anyway and it is believed that the 34-year-old will then be looking for a big contract with a top club at the latest.
Gladbach also still has European Cup ambitions and certainly does not want to lose the Swiss national goalkeeper. In view of the expiring contract, however, Borussia cannot hold Sommer even if he absolutely wants to leave. Therefore, the foals are currently looking for alternatives.
According to “picture” is Ironically, summer’s deputy in the Swiss national team Jonas Omlin top candidate for the summer successor in Gladbach. The 28-year-old is apparently showing outstanding performances at the French first division club Montpellier.
Omlin (left) and Sommer at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.Image: imago / Ulmer/Team photo
However, Gladbach faces the same problem as Bayern: nobody wants to give up their regular keeper in the middle of the season. Montpellier, which could also end up in a relegation battle in the second half of the season, demands around seven million euros for its keeper.
Kahn confident, but no regular place guarantee for Neuer
Summer could not only be the best solution for Bavaria for cost reasons: The Swiss could theoretically only sign for six months and then be gone again in the summerbefore a competition with Neuer breaks out.
He will be 37 years old when he returns after the season. A competition with a top international goalkeeper could mean the end of the career of the German national goalkeeper after such a serious injury.
Bayern boss Oliver Kahn (left) – here with Pelé after the Champions League final in 2001 – was a top keeper himself at the time.Image: imago sport photo service / HJS
“Football is a short-term business,” says former world goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. “We hope that this rehabilitation period will be without complications,” he explained to the “Bild”.
When asked whether Neuer would face competition in the coming season, Kahn expressed confidence: “We know Manuel: he will do everything to come back in top form. And a Manuel Neuer in top form is still absolutely world class.” However, that doesn’t sound like a regular place guarantee.
With 30 goals in 30 games, striker Simon Terodde played a large part in Schalke 04’s direct promotion back to the Bundesliga. The attacker didn’t go quite as strong. After 15 games he only has three goals. But it’s not just for the 34-year-old that things aren’t going well so far, but overall the royal blue experienced a first half of the season to forget. Schalke is at the bottom of the table and five points behind the relegation place.
