Gladbach Keeper On Bayern Munich’s And Man United’s Radar

The speculations surrounding Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer will not end. Linked with a move to Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Sommer will be a free agent in the summer and can, therefore, start negotiations with a new club on Jan. 1, 2023.

“As far as my contractual situation and my future are concerned, there were already open talks with [Gladbach] before the World Cup,” Sommer said. “We will resume the talks in the coming days as agreed.”

The bottom line of those talks appears to be whether Gladbach will cash in on their goalkeeper now if Sommer refuses to renew his contract. At the start of December, Gladbach communicated to the media that the club is unlikely to sell their goalkeeper this winter. At that point, the only club interested was Manchester United.

Man United, in fact, had already tried to sign the 34-year-old last summer. Expectations were that the Red Devils would make another attempt in the winter, with Gladbach rebuffing any attempt.

Things, however, have changed since the start of December. Bayern Munich has identified Sommer as a potential short-term replacement for the injured Manuel Neuer. The Rekordmeister is currently deciding between out on loan Alexander Nübel and Sommer as potential targets.

Gladbach has also realized that with two clubs interested there is a potential to receive a transfer fee this winter. With Jan Olschowsky emerging as an interesting prospect, Gladbach could now be willing to sell Sommer for around €5 million ($5.3 million).

That interest is high in Sommer is not a big surprise. Although the 34-year-old is not the tallest goalkeeper in the Bundesliga (183cm), Sommer is considered an intelligent ball moving goalkeeper with playmaking skills similar to Neuer and Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

According to the stats page Wyscout, Sommer is also an excellent shot-stopper. Sommer’s 4.5 shots stopped per 90 minutes is only second to Augsburg’s Rafal Gikiewicz (4.68). Sommer also leads the league with 0.24 prevented goals per 90 minutes. According to the Bundesliga’s own statistics, Sommer is fifth with 51 overall shots saved this season.

Some of those skills were, in fact, on display last August when Gladbach held Bayern to a 1-1 draw in the Bundesliga. Sommer was excellent against a Bayern side that an xG of 3.17 in that game.

That game still looms large among the decision-makers at the Säbener Straße and it was, therefore, no surprise that Sommer was immediately linked to Bayern when Neuer went down with an injury. Bayern’s director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic will now have to decide between Nübel and Sommer this winter.

Ultimately, the decision will come down on to whether which keeper will be easier to get and with Monaco making a return of Nübel difficult, Sommer is still in the running. But even if a move to Bayern falls through, in Man United, another club is ready to pounce should Sommer be available.

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