Bayern Munich has quite a few young players that are desperately in need of playing time — and January should give Max Eberl and Christoph Freund a chance to send some kids away for further seasoning.
So…who is going to leave, let’s take a shot at some predictions:
- Frans Krätzig: The living, breathing Abe Simpson meme. Just as soon as he is his back from his loan with VfB Stuttgart, the feeling here is that Bayern Munich is going to work very hard to send him right back out on loan. It is becoming do-or-die time for Krätzig. Verdict: Coming and going — LOAN.
- Adam Aznou: Bayern Munich might be spooked by its array of injuries at the outside back positions. Aznou is a left-back by trade, but can play on the right side and could be a valuable body to keep around. It feels like he will finish the season, wait to see what happens with Alphonso Davies, and — if Davies re-ups, start to look at a loan destination. Verdict: STAY (for now).
- Mathys Tel: Just a year ago, this would have seemed unfathomable, but a whole hell of a lot has happened in the last 12 months. Under Vincent Kompany, Tel has very little prospect of getting consistent playing time, so — for his development — he needs to go. Verdict: LOAN.
- Arijon Ibrahimović: The talented attacker has barely been used this season and needs playing time. It likely will not happen at Bayern Munich. Verdict: LOAN.
- Tarek Buchmann: The center-back has been injured long-term, is not fully healthy just yet, and will absolutely need a place to shake off the rust. However, his lengthy injury history (which includes 80 missed games and more than 630 days of missed time since the 2022/23 season) makes it very unlikely that Bayern Munich wants to send him away just yet. Verdict: STAY.
- Noël Aséko Nkili: The 19-year-old defensive midfielder is highly-regarded on campus, but does not appear to have much chance of breaking into the senior team yet. While a fixture for Bayern Munich II, this might not be the worst time to see if there is a club at a higher level that could host Nkil for six months. In the end, it might be just a bit too early for a loan. Perhaps, the start of next season is more realistic. Verdict: STAY.
- Nestory Irankunda: The Australian does not appear to be happy with his role on Bayern Munich II as opposed to a first team spot. Given that he has started to become vocal about it, the front office might be willing to accommodate him. Verdict: STAY.
Well, there you have it. It would also not be shocking to see Bayern Munich loan a youth goalkeeper out, but that might be a little too far into the weeds for this.
What do you think?
