16 years and 15 days – with Paul Wanner, the youngest player in the history of FC Bayern Munich made his debut against Gladbach. Julian Nagelsmann goes into raptures. The random debut comes at the right time. The competition is already lining up. What is the path for Wanner and the Bavarian campus?
There are crazy scenes that took place in Munich on Thursday. Before the Corona-battered team started their training at 11 a.m., attempts were made in the offices on Säbener Straße to put together a squad that could take on Borussia Mönchengladbach at the beginning of the second half. Normally it would have been no problem to replenish the squad with the help of the second team. But because she was mostly on vacation, the task became more complicated. Ultimately, it was also about the question of who is actually in the training rhythm and who is fit enough. And so it happened that in addition to a few short-term fourth division players, two 16-year-olds were also flown in from Spain.
Paul Wanner and Arijon Ibrahimović had traveled to the training camp with the German U17 national team at the beginning of the week, but found themselves shortly before 11 a.m. in a shuttle bus in Munich that took them from the airport to the training ground. Just a day later, Wanner will debut. As the youngest player in the club’s history, as the second youngest in the history of the Bundesliga. He is just 16 years and 15 days old when Julian Nagelsmann throws him into the first game of the young year.
Lots of talent on campus
Wanner and Ibrahimović represent a multitude of talents on the Bayern Campus. One of them, Arijon Ibrahimović, has a big name. Because he wears this one, he is already better known to many than the other, Paul Wanner. Even if the general public does not yet know much about players like Wanner or Ibrahimović, they are much better known among scouts. The two offensive players are technically highly gifted and also intuitively bring a very high level of capabilities. This means that even under pressure and with little time, they are able to make good decisions on the pitch.
An aspect that can make the difference between good and very good even in the youth field. At the FC Bayern campus, they are already sure that both of them will make their way into the Bundesliga if there are no injuries. Big advance praise, which they still have to live up to in the future.
Nagelsmann: “Paul has to stay clear in his head”
Wanner got the first opportunity to show his talent against Gladbach. He couldn’t have much influence on the course of the game, but almost always when he was on the ball, he did something clever with it. His technique is unmistakable and his speed also helps him to set himself apart from opponents. And once he almost contributed to a possible draw when he captured the ball in the center and played cleverly into the depths. A scene that showed all his recklessness and class.
Even Nagelsmann almost went into raptures after the game. Wanner is an “incredible talent,” he said. But he also restricted: “Paul has to stay clear in his head, then the door will be open to him.” Then he tapped his forehead and added: “Up here it is decided where it is going. Down below, he can do everything.” A statement that almost sounds like a warning. But Wanner, so it can be heard, is one of those talents who are not only down-to-earth themselves, but also have a good and calm environment. So the conditions are good.
The contract expires
But Wanner is not just an example of the fact that the campus is beginning to bear fruit. His youth player contract expires next summer and there were no signs of an extension until this weekend. As with other talents in the past, it is said from the environment that you have not yet been able to show the player a corresponding perspective. Although he has already occasionally trained with the pros, there have not been any promises of regular participation. There were similar reasons for Angelo Stiller’s change last summer.
After strong performances in the second team, the current Hoffenheimer was more likely to have obstacles put in his way than to plan the development together with him. For example, Tiago Dantas from Lisbon was engaged in his position, who was never able to convince and whose transfer caused even more unrest on campus. This also indirectly influenced the development of Torben Rhein. Another player, who not so long ago was one of the country’s greatest midfield talents, even gained experience as a captain in the DFB’s U-teams. FC Bayern was never able to show him a real perspective. Instead, it was thought from year to year. In 2021, it was extended by one year, which looked more like a compromise. Farewell threatens in summer 2022.
Will Wanner be the next Hummels?
Part of the truth is that the Rhine has not been sufficiently convincing in the past few months. In contrast to Stiller the year before, he did not use his chances with the amateurs. Even the few appearances with the professionals apparently did not leave a lasting impression. In this respect, such cases must always be viewed from many perspectives. But he didn’t seem to feel any real trust. For FC Bayern it is difficult to show players a career plan because the threshold from youth to professional in Munich is bigger than in any other Bundesliga club. Talents like Stiller show that they are ready for the Bundesliga, but for the record champions it is often not enough for more than a reserve role.
Even with top talent, Bayern are finding it increasingly difficult. Almost a similar situation arose at Wanner last summer: Although there were already a few midfielders in his age group at a good level on campus, they wanted to bring in Tom Bischof another top talent from Hoffenheim. Such transfers can be valuable for FC Bayern, as the development of Jamal Musiala has shown. But they can also mean that individual players no longer have a chance to develop accordingly. There’s a fine line between sensible competition and a build-up of talent who can’t get enough game time.
At Wanner, an extension cannot be ruled out any more than a departure. But a scenario could loom like the one that had already happened with Mats Hummels in the 2000s. He left Bavaria and became the foundation of the great team under Jürgen Klopp in Dortmund. Other clubs offer more than FC Bayern. Not financially, but when it comes to giving a player a clear idea of how to plan for the years to come. Actually, youth work on campus is supposed to be an essential pillar in order to be able to partially escape the financial madness on the transfer market. If, however, it is not possible to convince the talents of medium and long-term plans with them, or if such plans are not offered in the first place, it will be difficult for the Munich-based company.
Nagelsmann could do important persuasion work
- Justin Kraft is a freelance writer and blogger at miasanrot.de.
- Born in 1993 through the “Generation Kahn”, I came into contact with FC Bayern.
- Football-socialized with the “Generation lame climbers“, to which he even dedicated a book named after her in 2019.
There is still a ray of hope for the record champions and that is Julian Nagelsmann. Hardly a bad word is said about the head coach around the campus – and that has been quite rare in recent years. Mainly, that’s because the 34-year-old is very approachable. He actively seeks contact with the individual departments and takes the time to visit many games. With his open-minded nature, he could tip the scales when it comes to extending with the greatest talents. Wanner must be promoted accordingly in the future, said Nagelsmann. But for that, FC Bayern will have to stretch.
In addition to Wanner, there are also a few other players whose contracts are running out – for example Bright Arrey-Mbi or Yusuf Kabadayi. Not all of them necessarily have the potential to make the big breakthrough at FC Bayern, but there are a number of players who at a certain point earn at least a transfer fee, but could soon switch to a free transfer. Bayern will have to think about how they can convince top talents to stay. The fact that Ibrahimović and Wanner wore the numbers 14 and 15 against Gladbach could be seen as a small sign. A bigger one was Wanner’s brief assignment, which is certainly related to the contractual situation. The intense public praise from the trainer should not have been a coincidence either.
If Wanner does not extend, he has almost a free choice in the summer. In the Bundesliga, according to information from ntv, there are already a few clubs lining up – and they can show him exactly how they are planning with him. Something that FC Bayern has not succeeded so often recently. Perhaps the chance against Gladbach changed something in the situation. Especially since Wanner, as a fan of the club, would be quite open to staying – if the perspective is right.