Bayern Munich: Lukas Mai needs more playing time next season
Lukas Mai will have to leave Bayern Munich for playing time next season.
Bayern Munich has been strong defensively in the second half of the season after spending money of central defenders last summer. The German club has added another central defender in their squad by grabbing Tanguy Kouassi from Paris-Saint Germain on free transfer.
All centre-back arrivals are a big positive for the first team, helping them to become a top team to compete on all fronts. However, so many defenders spell bad news for Lukas Mai, who is currently playing for reserves after making his debut for first-team two years ago.
Mai is considered to be one of the best talents in the academy. The club rejected offers for him last summer, and eventually, he penned a new deal. However, it has been another frustrating year for him in terms of getting minutes in the first team.
Hansi Flick has been sticking with a fixed backline to keep consistency in performances. Few injuries in the squad allowed Mai to be in the matchday squad on few occasions this season. That is the closest he has been to first-team action this season.
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According to Liga-Zwei.de, Darmstadt wants to bring Mai at the club for next season. The report hints that the German club is in talks with Die Roten to complete a deal for the German defender. There is no suggestion whether it is a loan deal or a permanent transfer.
Mai is too good to play in the reserves team and not exactly there to become a regular for the first team. It is a unique situation for him right now. After enduring a frustrating year at the club, Mai should be pushing for a move away from the club to continue his development. Playing at the first team level will allow him to polish his game and become a much more well-rounded player.
From Die Roten’s perspective, a loan deal will be promising. Adrian Fein‘s loan spell at Hamburg is a solid example for them to allow Mai to go on loan this summer. If Darmstadt is pushing for a permanent transfer, then inserting a buyback clause will benefit all the parties.
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Flick is the ideal coach Die Roten has right now for developing young players from the academy. However, he is unlikely to be successful in integrating every promising player. In such a scenario, good loan spells would be ideal for players that are not around the first team right now. Mai falls in this category, so sorting his loan spell should be a priority for the club this summer.