At this point, no one really knows if Bayern Munich youngster Arijon Ibrahimović is going to be a good player, let along a star player.
Why?
Because we simply have not seen enough.
Why?
Because Bayern Munich is still hauling around three wingers who have had plenty of opportunity to show who they are — and continue to do it nearly every time they take the pitch…and it is simply not good enough.
For young players like Ibrahimović, the positional roadblock was too much to overcome — which led to his loan to SS Lazio.
“We have had many talks with Ari, he has developed very well in training in recent weeks. This opportunity has now arisen, the Lazio coach really wanted him. We have created a good situation, we hope that he will get a lot of minutes at Lazio. We are convinced that it’s a good loan, we will follow him closely and I am excited to see how he will develop,” said Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Therein lies the rub. Should a player like Ibrahimović have to leave to get a chance? If so, where does that leave a player like Mathys Tel?
Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sané are fine players in their own right. Each has good qualities, but their respective acts have worn thin in Bavaria. Coman struggles with crossing and finishing. Gnabry can disappear for months at a time, and Sané always seems one step away from a prolonged period of a slump filled self-doubt.
Still, even good coaches like Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel (good coach, not a great leader), and Vincent Kompany can come under the spell of potential that Sané, Gnabry, and Coman always seem to have around them.
It is — and has been — a problem for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Bayern Munich cannot distribute minutes to young players, who desperately need the game time. Last summer, at least one of the aforementioned trio should have been sold. Now, Sané enters free agency and could leave for nothing when actually holds a decent amount of market value. Coman and Gnabry also hold value on name recognition, but it will be tough to find a club willing to take on their exorbitant salaries after one more year of underperforming.
Sure, some scouts will still be enamored with Sané’s overall talent, Coman dazzling footwork and speed, and Gnabry ability to score…but any club that spends extended time reviewing the cases of all three players is going to find flaws…a lot of them.
It was a complete necessity for one of Sané, Gnabry, or Coman to go last summer for one more reason aside of budget planning — opportunity for young players. Ibrahimović was rarely used and is now at Lazio on a loan. Mathys Tel — who now desperately needs a loan — was convinced to stay in Bavaria by head coach Vincent Kompany, only to sit the full 90 minutes against Gladbach on Saturday in a game where Harry Kane looked completely cook for the last 20-25 minutes (and he was not overly active before that either). Now, Tel is being bandied about as a candidate for a full transfer to Chelsea FC (good luck with that!).
Simply put, this is a problem and it needs to be solved.
Michael Olise inked a deal with Bayern Munich last summer and promptly unseated Sané as the starter at right wing. Olise did so with ease and while his game is not perfect, it shows that players like Sané, Coman, and Gnabry are likely part of the reason why Bayern Munich went trophyless last season.
The trio is definitely talented, but neither natural ability, nor potential is winning trophies these days. It is time for a change, but there is no guarantee that this still will not be an issue next season. It is thoroughly conceivable that Sané signs a cut-rate, three-year deal to stay and it is completely believable that Coman and Gnabry could be hard to sell this summer because of their big salaries — and also their respective statuses as free-agents-to-be in 2026.
Yup, one year from now, Bayern Munich could be looking at Sané, Gnabry, and Coman are primary parts of the sometimes stale attacking group.
Until change happens, players like Ibrahimović, Tel, and maybe even Paul Wanner if he returns from Heidenheim next season could see their opportunities for playing time limited by the presence of Sane, Gnabry, and Coman.
Will the coming months bring change…or just more of the same?
BVB to make Zinchenko move?
Borussia Dortmund is rumored to be kicking the tires on a deal for Arsenal FC left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko. Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg had the info:
⚫️ EXCL | Borussia Dortmund are exploring a deal to sign Oleksandr #Zinchenko!
Concrete talks have already taken place with the player’s management in the last days and are ongoing. The 28y/o left-back is keen to leave Arsenal.
Gunners open for a loan with an obligation to buy of approximately €20m. #BVB had already shown interest last summer.
Realistically, Borussia Dortmund is probably too far gone to be a serious threat this season for the Bundesliga crown, but the club is trying to refine its roster in hopes of being a more serious contender next season…will it all work?
Song of the Midweek: “Take It or Leave It” by The Strokes
Garage rock was back on the menu for this week and it kind of came out of nowhere for me.
As I’ve been doing a lot of running lately, I’ve seen (heard?) my iTunes go deep into the archive and I forgot I had this one in the library. Released back in 2001, there was a frenzy of this sound. While it dissipated kind of quickly, there was some real quality that emerged from it, it, including this one from The Strokes. Enjoy:
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim
Bayern Munich is hosting a struggling Hoffenheim side for a Bundesliga showdown with a squad that has simply not gotten on track during this campaign.
Bayern Munich will be looking to improve upon its 1-0 victory over Gladbach last weekend and should have a chance against a reeling Hoffenheim squad. Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show. This is what we have on tap:
- A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich.
- This is a golden opportunity to look closely at midfielder Tom Bischof, who is a legitimate transfer target for the Bavarians.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Predictions
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich passed its first test by knocking off Gladbach over the weekend, but will face another stiff test from an underachieving Hoffenheim squad desperately in need of a boost.
While the backline and midfield excelled against Gladbach, the attack lacked precision and bite. That should change as the Gladbach match served as a wake-up call for the Bavarians who need a nudge from time-to-time.
Expect Bayern Munich to be ready for this game and to show the home crowd, they’ve still got their attacking chops.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0 Hoffenheim
Other Bundesliga Predictions:
- Holstein Kiel 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
- Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Mainz 05
- Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 SC Freiburg
- VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
- VfL Bochum 1-1 St. Pauli
- VfB Stuttgart 2-3 RB Leipzig
- Union Berlin 1-1 FC Augsburg
- Werder Bremen 1-2 Heidenheim
Prediction Records
- Last Week Bundesliga: 7-2 (Through Matchday 16)
- Overall Bundesliga: 71-73
- UEFA Nations League: 81-66
- Champions League: 60-48 (Through Matchday 6)
- DFB-Pokal: 40-16 (Through Round of 16)
- Total: 252-203
- Perfect Picks: 42 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)
