While he might not have been a blockbuster signing when he joined from RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2023, Konrad Laimer has been a quietly efficient signing for Bayern Munich. His positional versatility has made him a useful auxiliary player for a succession of coaches in Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, and now Vincent Kompany.
In his tenure at Bayern, we have seen him utilized in the center of midfield, as a holding midfielder, as a right-back, and even as a center-back. He is the type of player that can do a solid job wherever he is asked to do so and he even ended 2024 on a high note, scoring in the Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk and the Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig on the final matchday of the year.
Per information from kicker (via @iMiaSanMia_GER), Bayern is planning on using Laimer at right-back quite often moving forward, which is where he has most often been deployed by Kompany so far this season. With the injury to fellow right-back Josip Stanišić, Laimer has already spent a lot of time at right-back this season.
Photo by F. Noever/FC Bayern via Getty Images
In addition to the injury to Stanišić that has kept him out of most of this season already, Eric Dier is likely set to be leaving Bayern at the end of the season, so Stanišić will be utilized at center-back as well as right-back. The Croatian international can play in the center of defense as well as wide, and he has done so in the past at Bayern under Nagelsmann, especially during matches where a back three was utilized.
Kompany will certainly need all the depth that he can get. Virtually every defender in his squad has already suffered some sort of injury this season and spent at least a brief spell on the sidelines.
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