Bayern Munich: Uli Hoeness praises Serge Gnabry’s development

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is impressed with the way Serge Gnabry has progressed throughout his debut season in Bavaria.

It has been a season of many ups and downs for Bayern Munich. Their Bundesliga performances have been inconsistent, but they have found  momentum at the right time and are on track to defend their title. There have been some players who have shown a massive decline in their performances, while some have thrived after given some extra responsibility.

Serge Gnabry falls into the second category. The German forward is enjoying a fine debut campaign in Munich. Speaking to kicker (via Bundesliga.com), Bayern president Uli Hoeness praised Gnabry for delivering consistent performances throughout the season. Hoeness claims the Germany international has surprised him in a positive way.

"“We thought we’d bring him back, and then see how he gets on if he plays from time to time.“Now he’s a first-team regular, he’s enjoying himself and is the biggest surprise of the season – in a positive way.”"

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After a difficult spell at Arsenal, Gnabry returned to his home country and signed for Werder Bremen. His fantastic debut season in the Bundesliga quickly earned him a move to Bayern Munich , who might have had a hand in Gnabry leaving Arsenal in the first place. He was subsequently loaned out to Hoffenheim for one season, where he excelled under Julian Nagelsmann. There were a few eyebrows raised when Bayern confirmed his signing in 2017, but those doubts were banished completely when he maintained his good form at Hoffenheim and helped them qualify for the Champions League.

Bayern decided to include Gnabry in the first team squad after his impressive loan spell at Hoffenheim. The German winger started the campaign slowly but eventually found a good level of consistency in his performances after the winter break. He has now found the back of the net 12 times and created eight goals for his teammates across all competitions.

Gnabry’s consistency was rewarded by Bayern as he was handed a contract extension in March. The 23-year-old will play an essential role in Bayern’s success in the next few years. His positional flexibility in the final third allows the manager to use him in many different systems and roles. Gnabry’s next target should be contributing close to 30 goals in a season across all competitions.

Bayern Munich will be looking for at least one more wide player in the upcoming transfer window. There will be more competition for Gnabry next season, and it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the arrival of a new forward. He has been surprising the fans and the club with his performances, but he needs to maintain such consistency over numerous seasons to achieve his individual and team’s key goals.