With Vincent Kompany’s arrival at Bayern Munich, there is a good chance that the new coach will want to bring in some players he is familiar with — notably, from the Premier League.
With the future of Alphonso Davies in doubt amid links to Real Madrid (or is it?), Bayern Munich’s previous interest in Arsenal FC’s Oleksandr Zinchenko could give a clue into what the Bavarians are thinking of for a contingency plan. Kompany, of course, is well-versed with Zinchenko’s game:
Vincent Kompany is eyeing a move for Arsenal misfit Oleksandr Zinchenko as his first Bayern Munich signing. The recently deposed German champions will set about the task of rejuvenating their squad this summer having finally resolved their managerial situation.
The decision to appoint the 38-year-old has been a divisive one given his lack of experience with his only season as a Premier League boss ending in relegation with Burnley. Kompany’s responsibilities will largely focus on matters on the pitch but he will have input into the club’s transfer business this summer and, according to the Mirror, will be keeping tabs on one of his former teammates.
Zinchenko joined Arsenal nearly two years ago and became an instant favourite, starring in an inverted left-back role that helped transform the Gunners into title contenders. Opponents quickly grew wise to Mikel Arteta’s tactics, however, and Zinchenko’s form dipped markedly last season as teams began to expose his defensive deficiencies.
Indeed, the former City star ended last term as, arguably, Arsenal’s third choice left-back behind Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior. Bayern, meanwhile, are also likely to be in the market for a new left-back given the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of Alphonso Davies.
AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez is also on Bayern Munich’s radar, but Zinchenko could be a less expensive option if the Bavarians truly want to pursue him.
This is a bizarre (and unlikely) rumor, but Vincent Kompany would — allegedly — like to bring Manchester City defender John Stones to Bavaria:
Once Vincent Kompany had been announced as the new Bayern Munich manager, plundering his old club, Man City, for his first signing was always going to be the least surprising move from the Cityzens former captain. In such a high-profile role, if the 38-year-old can surround himself with players that he knows well and also understands how their skill set can fit into the team dynamic, so much the better.
Guardiola famously said that the Belgian could be a future manager of Man City, quoted by the club’s official website, so it appears abundantly clear that he has what it takes to go right to the very top in football management. As with all managers he will of course be judged by results and after a poor season under Thomas Tuchel, Kompany needs to instil some confidence back into the dressing room. Key to this will be the strength of his signings across the summer, the first of which is hoped to be versatile Man City ace, John Stones, per Fichajes.
Under Guardiola, the England international was converted from a centre-back into a midfielder, often playing both roles as and when needed. It isn’t clear where Kompany sees Stones in his Bayern team, but were he successful in landing the player, his integration into the side should be easier than usual given that England teammates, Eric Dier and Harry Kane are already at the club. Having only just turned 30 years of age Stones is still likely to command a hefty fee, and it remains to be seen whether City will allow him to move to the Bundesliga giants.
It seems very unlikely that Stones would jump to Germany at this point in his career.
Real Madrid and German national team star Toni Kroos recently talked about how his family reacted to him announcing his retirement — it did not go as planned:
⚪️ Toni Kroos: “I was surprised when I saw my daughter crying on Saturday because she was the happiest when I told them I was going to retire!”.
“With my son… a ‘war’ in the house happened because he didn’t want me to leave football”. pic.twitter.com/l5Wbg51ZTn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2024
Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer enjoyed his first season with Inter Milan.
“It’s been a good season. We’ve had some good performances as a team. A lot of clean sheets, so that means that we’ve had a good defense. We’ve played a lot of good matches. And then there were certainly some bad ones, like the second leg in the Champions League, and the Coppa Italia,” said Sommer. “It was a good first season at Inter. As far as the move between leagues, Sommer commented that “It’s difficult to make a comparison with the Bundesliga. I certainly really like Serie A. And the city of Milan as well.”
“Winning the Scudetto was really special for me. There were a lot of positive emotions. Certainly, when you move to a new league you always learn something new. And that happened here as well. I learned to build up from the back. I’ve gained confidence. I can’t wait for the Euros, and then to start another season here after that.”
Bayern Munich officially hired Vincent Kompany to lead the club into a new era.
Just how long that era lasts remains to be seen, but the new coach will have his work cut out for him as he will need to navigate a few different tasks aside of just establishing himself as a manager.
Kompany will not only have to figure out how to get the best out of his current roster, but also will have to help identify new players, which current players need to go, how to win trophies, and do it all without wilting under the spotlight of being a head coach in Bavaria.
There is a ton to discuss, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast:
- Examining the insane story regarding Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge wanting Hansi Flick for a year — and Flick agreeing to it — only to get overruled by Max Eberl and Christoph Freund.
- Kompany, Eberl, and Freund want a squad overhaul. Specifically, Bayern Munich wants to unload six players with big salaries, but who? Let’s take a look at the possibilities. Is it really necessary? We don’t think so! Let’s discuss it!
- Some thoughts on Germany’s camp (so far).
- Transfer comings and goings — and why Bayern Munich could be serving itself a recipe for disaster.
Real Madrid’s Luka Modrić is not yet ready to call it a career:
⚪️ Luka Modric on retirement: “I can’t say when, I have to see how I feel… but right now, I feel so good physically that I’m sure I can still play elite football”.
“Don’t look at the age, I feel great”, told Cope. pic.twitter.com/8qQMa3NsN2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2024
Former Bayern Munich II coach Tim Walter is the new coach at Hull City;
We are delighted to announce Tim Walter as our new head coach!
Willkommen, Tim #hcafc
— Hull City (@HullCity) May 31, 2024
Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg had more information on the move:
Arsenal could be looking at two former Borussia Dortmund attackers to help with its offense next season:
Arsenal’s top striker targets are Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey. The Gunners would like to conclude a deal before they head off on their pre-season of the United States.
Liverpool FC and Real Madrid could be among the clubs battling it out for Benfica defender Antonio Silva:
Incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot has prioritised the signing of young Portugal defender Antonio SIlva from Benfica, who had also attracted admiring glances from Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich has been loosely linked to Silva as well.
The 2023/24 Bundesliga season concluded with VfL Bochum’s remarkable comeback against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the relegation playoff. Inspired by this, we at BFW decided to review a season that — to Bayern Munich fans’ displeasure —featured record-breaking moments, unimaginable Cinderella stories, and disappointing performances from star players and coaches.
In this flagship episode, hosted by Marcus Iredahl, we’ll delve into the top three ‘overachievers’ and ‘underachievers’ of the season. We’ll discuss the players, coaches, and teams who either exceeded expectations or fell short, hopefully sparking lively discussions in the comments section!
In this podcast episode, we’ll cover the following topics and more:
- Is Thomas Tuchel the biggest underachiever of this season?
- Should Bayern fans be worried about Christoph Freund’s abilities?
- The incredible Cinderella story of FC Heidenheim – a dream for football romantics!
- Marcus’ pick for ‘Player of the Season.’ Who would you choose?