Even Stanisic is “amazed”
The opaque squad puzzle of FC Bayern
8/22/2023, 6:36 p.m
Is Benjamin Pavard staying or is he leaving? Viewed from the outside, personnel planning at FC Bayern seems a bit opaque. Josip Stanisic, who doesn’t exactly know why he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen, is also symptomatic of this.
It’s no longer a secret that Benjamin Pavard has finished with FC Bayern. His contract in Munich runs until the end of this season, but because he sees no prospects as a central defender, he wants to leave. There is also a buyer in Inter Milan, and both clubs have now even reached an agreement: a transfer fee of 30 million euros plus up to three million bonuses. Only: Pavard still can’t change.
The Frenchman, mind you as a right-back with the national team, world champion in 2018 and World Cup finalist in 2022, is only allowed to go after Bayern have found a replacement for him. Kyle Walker, who was coveted by coach Thomas Tuchel, would have been more than equal, but he preferred to stay with Manchester City. Which, if it had worked out, wouldn’t have been a vote of confidence for Noussair Mazraoui.
A man who can play on the right defensive side is now being sought. At first glance, it seems incomprehensible that the “Sports Committee” did not want to keep Josip Stanisic: The homegrown player was presented as a new signing at Bayer Leverkusen, albeit only as a loan player with no option to buy. But Stanisic himself was slightly surprised by this fact. “I was a bit surprised,” said the 23-year-old. “But the clubs agreed and for me it’s the best decision.”
Because even Stanisic didn’t really know how many competitors he actually had: Is it just Mazraoui? Or is it two with Pavard? “It was also a back and forth. I never knew: Benji stays, Benji goes and what about me?” Said the Croatian international: “I was a bit up in the air.” After the request from Leverkusen and the contact with Werkself coach Xabi Alonso, Stanisic said he was “really interested” in the Bayer project. But the problem for FC Bayern still remains. Lukas Klostermann from RB Leipzig and Lutsharel Geertruida from Feyenoord Rotterdam are now under discussion as potential competitors for Mazraoui.
And then there’s the goalkeeper position
The search for a goalkeeper is no less thoughtless and hectic – triggered by the injury and ongoing rehabilitation phase of Manuel Neuer, who is hovering above everything else. Apparently, Munich want to sign 23-year-old Daniel Peretz from Maccabi Tel Aviv, the point of contention is probably still the fee. He should initially come as a deputy for Sven Ulreich – and probably succeed Neuer in the long run.
As far as the treatment of the goalkeeper position is concerned, not only record national player Lothar Matthäus is irritated. “I wonder,” he said at a sponsorship event from interwetten.de, “why didn’t they raise this young goalkeeper themselves.” Yes why? Alexander Nübel once came to Munich with the prospect of becoming Neuer’s successor. They have now loaned him to VfB Stuttgart. And other, once highly praised talents are no longer there.
Is it due to a lack of trust? Or a wrong assessment? In any case, Ron-Thorben Hoffmann now plays for Eintracht Braunschweig, Christian Früchtl has now landed at Austria Vienna after the accidental detour to 1. FC Nürnberg. And their homegrown Johannes Schick loaned the Munich team to the third division club Preußen Münster before the season. Yann Sommer, in turn, was allowed to switch to Inter Milan.
After all, after months of playing poker, they now have a center forward again in Harry Kane at FC Bayern. And if there is a need, Joshua Kimmich could play right-back. Otherwise: The transfer window is open until September 1, 6 p.m.