Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has ruled out a January exit for veteran center-back Mats Hummels.
Niko Kovac finally knows his best system and starting lineup at Bayern Munich. The Croatian has stuck with the same starting XI for much of the past three weeks. There has been a general talk in the media about the future of some players who have been benched for this run of games. Mats Hummels is one of these players who has struggled for game time since Bayern’s defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
Hummels has been one of the few players at the club that has publicly backed Niko Kovac’s rotation policy. However, he has also been one of the players most affected by his manager’s recent change in tune about rotation. There have even been reports in Germany suggesting Hummels might leave the club in the near future.
Speaking with Sky Sports, however, Hasan Salihamidzic has ruled out a January departure for Hummels. The Bayern sporting director believes that Hummels still has a lot to offer Die Roten.
"“I completely rule out that he’s going to leave in the winter.“It’s true that when you play at Bayern Munich, you have to expect that you also sit on the bench. He has not played for some time now, was a bit sick in between, but today the coach gave him his confidence.”"
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The German international finally got a start after a long month on Saturday, when Bayern faced Hannover. The Bavarians managed to keep a clean sheet and scored some fantastic goals. Hummels was good in this game, but he still needs to find a way to eradicate his weaknesses. He will have to work hard to feature regularly in central defense, as Kovac is currently placing more faith in the pairing of Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule.
There have been constant defensive problems for Bayern Munich this season. The defending German champions are struggling to keep clean sheets due to their porous defense. Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, in particular, have had some torrid games throughout the season. The German duo’s lack of pace and poor decision making has been exposed by many teams.
Hummels and Boateng are on a steady decline right now. Boateng was close to leaving Bayern in the summer transfer window, with both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain named as potential suitors. If things don’t change for Hummels, however, then he is likely to be the defender who will be sold while Boateng stays at the club.
Bayern will no doubt address the defensive department in the upcoming summer transfer window. The club has reportedly agreed a deal to sign Benjamin Pavard from VfB Stuttgart, while Matthijs de Ligt has also been linked with the club on many occasions. A new signing in central defense is likely to open the exit door for either Hummels or Boateng.