Uli Hoeness advises Jerome Boateng to leave Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness advises Jerome Boateng to head for the exit door this summer after eight years at the club.
After their emphatic 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in yesterday’s DFB Pokal final, Bayern Munich have won their first domestic double since 2016. It wasn’t without pain, however. The Bavarians struggled in the majority of their cup matches, while the Bundesliga title went down to the final day.
Much of Bayern’s difficulties this season were caused — at least in part — by the squad’s shaky defense. Every single one of the club’s defenders has struggled at one point or another this season, leading to an overall instability within the back line.
No member of the Bavarians’ defensive corps had as tough of a season, though, as veteran defender Jerome Boateng. The 30-year-old World Cup and Champions League winner was a shadow of his former self throughout the entire campaign. Though he put in a handful of solid performances, Boateng was shockingly poor in most of his matches.
Given his age, and the fact that Bayern have already spent over €100 million to bring in a pair of young central defenders, it’s always seemed likely that this past season would be Boateng’s last one in Munich. The former Germany international hinted heavily at an exit last summer, but he ultimately decided to stay in Bavaria for at least one more season.
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This summer, however, the Berlin-born defender is sure to head for greener pastures. According to Uli Hoeness, that’s exactly what he should do (via Bild).
"“I would recommend [for Boateng] to leave the club. He needs a new challenge. He seems like a foreign body.“As a friend, I would recommend he looks for a new club.”"
Never one to mince his words, Uli Hoeness has made it quite clear that Jerome Boateng won’t be playing in the Bavarian capital next season (even though he did concede that Boateng is more than welcome to see out his Bayern contract).
He has looked extremely unhappy over the past month or so, and it would be far more surprising if he didn’t leave Bayern this summer than if he did. Hoeness is exactly right; Boateng needs a new challenge in a new environment to see out the final years of his career.
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As far as it concerns potential destinations for the veteran, a whole handful of clubs have been linked with him in recent times. It was Paris Saint-Germain whom he almost joined last summer (though Manchester United were also interested), and it was recently reported the French champions could be in for him again in the upcoming window. However, he has also been touted as a potential target for Inter Milan, whose Champions League qualification could make them a desirable club as well.