Can $44m Rated Bremer Replace Niklas Süle?

Bayern Munich will have a center-back size hole to fill when Niklas Süle leaves the club for Borussia Dortmund in the summer. One player the club is interested in is Torino defender Gleison Bremer. The 24-year-old center-back has a standout season scoring two goals and one assist in 23 games for Torino and has a Transfermarkt market value of $22 million. 

It is the price category that makes the player interesting for Bayern Munich. Although the Rekordmeister paid a record $88 million for defender Lucas Hernández, Bayern Munich has shied away from paying significant fees throughout the club’s history.

In fact, the Hernández transfer, with the high fee in mind, can be classified as a failed transfer—further cautioning the decision-makers when it comes to spending big. On top of that, COVID-19 has caused a significant financial burden on one of the world’s cash wealthiest clubs. Bayern is not Man City or Chelsea; there is no petrostate or Russian oligarch to bail out the club when a transfer goes wrong. 

With that in mind, going after a left-field acquisition like Torino’s Bremer makes sense. That said, a transfer will not be cheap. Tuttosport reported that Torino’s president Urbano Cairo wants $44 million for the Brazilian defender—a price that would make Bremer the fifth most expensive signing in club history. 

Bayern is, of course, not the only club interested. One team that has scouted Bremer is Italian giants Juve. But Torino is reluctant to sell to their city rivals. “I can’t see Bremer as Juventus player after fighting for Torino for many and many years,” Torino director Davide Vagnati said to DAZN (quoted by Fabrizio Romano). “I expect him to do different choices for his future.”

The significant price tag, however, might give Bayern Munich’s leadership around CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic some pause. The former, in particular, has been very cautious about spending money while the club is still recovering from the pandemic. But the defender market is thin, and even free agents like Antonio Rüdiger will command a significant signing-on bonus and a handsome salary that will be way beyond Süle’s contract demands. 

Speaking of Süle. Even though Bayern is expected to sign more than one center-back, Bremer will be asked to replace the 26-year-old who leaves the club for Borussia Dortmund next summer. 

Bremer has been described as a fast versatile defender. The Brazilian has modelled his game after former Bayern Munich center-back Lúcio. His speed and physical presence, in particular, make him an ideal player to fill the void left by Süle. 

There are a few things that stand out when comparing the two players on Wyscout. Despite his smaller frame, Bremer is far more active in the air, conducting 8.99 aerial duels per 90 minutes this season compared to Süle’s 2.24. Bremer won 52.8% of those, Süle won 72.31% but the sheer number of aerial duels that the Brazilian is involved in makes his number impressive. 

Süle, however, is the better passer. The German center-back completed 92.72% of his passes this season and 75.32% of his long passes—Bremer managed 88.16% and 51.75% in those two categories. Süle also commits fewer fouls (0.41) per 90 minutes than Bremer (1.64). 

Some of those numbers, of course, will be skewed by the fact that Süle is currently playing for one of the best teams on the planet while Bremer’s Torino side is at best a mid-table team in Italy. Still, Süle offers some unique skills, despite his big frame he is one of the fastest players in the Bundesliga and extremely skillful with the ball.

As a Brazilian defender of the Lucio school, Bremer has some of the abilities as well. Furthermore, his price tag makes him enticing. Whether he alone can replace Süle, however, remains to be seen. 

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