Bayern Munich loanee Paul Wanner is having a nice season so far with Heidenheim, but questions about next season are going to be inevitable.
German outlet kicker (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) quizzed the young attacker on where he stands on a couple of subjects — including whether he foresees himself at Bayern Munich next season and how confident he is with competing for playing time should he be on the Bayern roster for 2025/26:
Paul Wanner on whether he wants to be ready for Bayern at the end of the season: “First of all, I want to play the best possible season at Heidenheim, I’m not thinking about the end of the season yet. We’ll see where I stand by then”
• How is your self-confidence? Do you say: I will establish myself at Bayern at some point Or, with a view to the players there and possibly Florian Wirtz as a new signing, think about where you would actually play?
Wanner: “Bayern only have very good players, but still I would say that I’m confident. But now I have to play in the Bundesliga for Heidenheim for a year and perform to the best of my ability.”
• Does a return to FC Bayern only make sense if you realistically expect a high number of appearances?
Wanner: “I think so, otherwise I would be back at the point where I was before. It only makes sense if I’m part of the short list [first team squad].”
That last part is very interesting as Wanner is making it known he is not taking a step back from first-team football. The wild card for Wanner is, indeed, Wirtz. Playing two attacking midfielders together might be doable for Vincent Kompany, but finding a way to use three together might be tough.
Given how little Musiala comes off the field (the same could be expected for Wirtz is he ultimately inks a deal with Bayern), it might be tough for Wanner to get playing time even if he does make the move back to Säbener Straße next season.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the weekend in Germany? Great, then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl. The show is available on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
