It has been nearly a decade, at the time of writing, since 2015 and Sven Ulreich’s transfer from VFB Stuttgart to Bayern Munich. In that time, Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich have established a clear understanding that they would be first and second choice goalkeepers, respectively, setting in stone this arrangement. There was an attempt to change this arrangement in 2020, as Bayern signed then hottest young German goalkeeping talent Alexander Nübel from Schalke 04 while letting Ulreich leave for Hamburger SV.
A year later, however, Nübel was sent away on loan and Ulreich returned, despite an unimpressive season in the 2. Bundesliga, starting yet another era of the Neuer and Ulreich duo at Bayern. Current Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer briefly also disrupted this duo, but he was quickly offloaded as well. Another attempt may be coming soon, though. BILD claims, via @iMiaSanMia, that 2025 may see another attempt to disrupt the goalkeeping hierarchy at Bayern:
Just like with his most recent extension in November 2023, Sven Ulreich’s future depends on Manuel Neuer. If Neuer extends, Ulreich would also likely get another year. However, if Neuer retires in the summer, Bayern could completely renew the goalkeeping hierarchy and do without Ulreich.
If Bayern decides to renew the hierarchy, the club better hope it goes better than the last two times they tried it, only for those attempts to fail and force the club to backpedal and re-establish the main goalkeeping duo at Bayern. Who knows? Perhaps Nübel, after so many years on loan, will finally be able to make a consequential change at Bayern.
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