Bayern Munich Still Deciding On Best Replacement

Almost two weeks after Manuel Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident—an injury that will keep him out until at least August—Bayern Munich is still looking for a replacement. The most apparent solution remains out on loan Alexander Nübel and, indeed, an agreement seemed close last week.

And make no mistake, bringing back Nübel would be the best solution for the club. But even though Bayern owns Nübel’s contract—the 26-year-old is currently out on loan at French side AS Monaco—bringing the goalkeeper back to Bayern is not that straightforward.

First of all, Bayern will have to find an agreement to terminate the loan early—a fee in the region of $2 million has been discussed. Second, the decision-makers at the Säbener Straße also have to convince Nübel to return to Munich.

That might be the most difficult part. Nübel wants certain guarantees before he returns to Munich, including an open competition for the no.1 role should Neuer regain full fitness from a complicated injury.

Then there is the problematic relationship with goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic, who is close friends with Neuer. Nübel, through his agent Stefan Backs has communicated that he would be open to a return once his perspective at Bayern has been cleared.

“Yes, Bayern want to bring Alexander back and have informed me about it,” Backs said in a statement made to Sky Germany last week. “It’s now mainly up to the clubs to find an agreement. For Alexander it is important to know about his perspective.”

Further reports then indicated that Nübel would not return to Munich to work with Tapalovic. A development that has surprised the Neuer and Tapalovic camp.

“Why doesn’t Alexander Nübel just call Manuel or Toni Tapalovic and calmly discuss the situation,” Neuer’s agent Thomas Kroth said to Bild last week. “Why is everything being talked about in public?”

Furthermore, Kroth voiced his surprise that Nübel’s relationship with Tapalovic has soured. “The two know each other and it was Tapalovic and Manuel who recommended FC Bayern early on to sign Nübel,” Kroth said. “So they played a big part in Nübel moving to Bayern in 2020.”

Stories leaked to the press also indicated that Nübel, Neuer and Tapalovic had been in close contact with one another when the former first moved to Monaco on loan. But somewhere, somehow the relationship soured. Some of it might be Nübel seeing a chance to truly challenge Neuer for the no.1 position.

In fact, Bayern might be on the right path forcing the issue, giving Nübel a shot to challenge Neuer. But it also appears that the Rekordmeister is not quite ready yet to make that call, fully backing Tapalovic to stay.

Furthermore, Morocco and Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (better known as Bono) has reportedly become a candidate to take over short-term—although his exit clause is around $50 million. Another option that has emerged is Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer. The Swiss-born keeper will be a free agent in the summer and seems open to move now for a small fee.

Rumors surrounding Croatian keeper Aleksander Livakovic have gone silent. Indeed, many of the rumors surrounding other goalkeeper names at the Säbener Straße appear to emerge of the pressure cooker created by the difficult relationship between Nübel and Tapalovic.

Perhaps a call between those parties would be the most sensible solution for everyone involved. Sooner or later Bayern will have to make a call regarding Nübel and this seems the time. The club knows this too and director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic wants to resolve the issue at the start of training on Jan. 3, 2023.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth