Bayern Munich continues to look to North America for young talent
Bayern Munich continue to monitor North America and the MLS for young talents with exciting potential to become European stars.
Bayern Munich is leaving no rock unturned in uncovering new talent. This week Cameron Duke, a Sporting KC academy product, and Ulysess Llanez of the LA Galaxy academy are on trial at Sabener Strasse, according to Fox Sports’ Keith Cositgan.
This comes shortly after FC Dallas loaned young American center-back Chris Richards to Bayern for a look with the club’s U-19 team.
It seems Bayern is making a concentrated effort to find talent playing in the US to bolster their youth and development programs. The success of players such and Weston McKennie at Schalke 04, Christian Pulisic at Borussia Dortmund and some early good signs from Josh Sargent at Werder Bremen, have put a spotlight on the United States as having some diamonds to be mined.
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Combine it with an apparent shift by MLS to being a sell-on league, and you have a combo for a possible new talent pipeline.
Cameron Duke is a 17-year-old defender from Olathe, Kansas. He was a top player in the U-16/17 US Soccer Development Academy Central Division.
Ulysess Llanez, meanwhile, is a 17-year-old winger from Southern California, currently playing for LA Galaxy II in the USL. In March, Llanez was called in by USA U-20 coach Tab Ramos for the squad’s Spain trip. At the time 16-years-old, he was the youngest player on the roster.
Bayern may not be done looking at top talent from North America, as the Toronto Sun recently reported the Bavarians as having interest in Vancouver Whitecaps winger Alphonso Davies. For those who pay attention to MLS, it’s easy to see the potential Davies would bring to the program.
Davies, a Canadian citizen, has three goals and eight assists for the Whitecaps in 20 games played so far in the 2018 MLS season. At 17-years-old, he’s one of the youngest players in the league.
Earlier this season, after clearly being man of the match material in a 2-1 victory of Montreal Impact, Davies was left off the list of “Man of the Match” candidates because he isn’t of legal drinking age, and Vancouver’s Man of the Match is sponsored by Budweiser.
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We may never see these players on the field for the Bayern first team, but it’s clear the club is looking to take advantage of some of the talent coming through the United States systems and leagues. Richards, Duke, Llanez, and possibly Davies all represent exciting names to keep tabs on, especially for the Bayern faithful that long to see American (or Canadian) talent get their chance in Munich.