FC Bayern: This is the status of Manuel Neuer and the search for a replacement

Bundesliga

On December 10, Manuel Neuer announced his end of the season on Instagram. The FC Bayern goalkeeper broke his lower leg while ski touring and will be out until the end of the current season. It’s a horror scenario for the Munich bosses. They wanted to launch another attack on the treble with their world-class goalkeeper. This is no longer possible.

Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidžić was “shocked” and still had little time to process the shock. In an interview with “Sport Bild” he explained: “Then the work mode was switched on immediately, the vacation was over at that moment.”

It should have been clear to the Bayern bosses that they wanted to sign a replacement for Neuer and that Sven Ulreich would probably not be in goal. Munich’s favourite: Alexander Nübel. He should be brought back to Munich from his loan from Monaco.

However, negotiations with the French are difficult. Nübel is on loan to AS until the summer. There is no option to return early, so Bayern would probably have to pay financial compensation. According to a report in the French newspaper “L’Équipe”, however, the lack of agreement after tough negotiations is not the only hurdle.

Accordingly, the biggest problem for Monaco would be to find a suitable Nübel replacement if it went back to Munich. Monaco is currently sixth in the French Ligue 1 and wants to qualify for the Champions League. The French think they have the best chances with Nübel. With defender Axel Disasi, the 26-year-old is the only player in the squad who has appeared in every competitive game of the current season.

If Nübel does not succeed in returning, there are other candidates on the possible list as new replacements. In addition to Keylor Navas from Paris or Yassine Bounou, called “Bono”, from Seville, it could be Gladbach’s Yann Sommer. The 34-year-old has a contract until the end of the season and can then leave on a free transfer.

At the start of training after the World Cup break, the Swiss goalkeeper said: “As far as my contractual situation and my future are concerned, there were already open discussions with the club before the World Cup. We will resume these in the coming days as agreed.”

It is actually clear that Gladbach does not want to let number one go in winter. Manager Roland Virkus had told the “picture” clarified: “From our point of view, a transfer from Yann in winter is not an issue at all.” According to the newspaper, the Gladbachers are willing to talk from a bid of five million euros.

It is questionable, however, whether Bayern want to pay this amount for a goalkeeper who will probably only play for half a year. Manuel Neuer should be fit again for the new season, then he would be the number one goalkeeper again and Sommer would have to sit on the bench or look for a new club again.