FC Nurnberg Sporting Director Dieter Hecking provides an update on Bayern Munich loanee.
Bayern Munich had multiple departures in the first team last season. They parted ways with Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho when their loan deals came to an end. Meanwhile, numerous younger players that have been training with the first team went out on loan to continue their development.
Christian Fruchtl was one of these young players that left Bayern on a temporary basis. The young German goalkeeper has been training with the first team since the retirement of Tom Starke. He is yet to make his first-team debut since Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich were the first and second choice goalkeepers, respectively.
At the start of last summer, Alexander Nubel arrived in Bavaria from Schalke on a free transfer. Ulreich’s future was in doubt, but he couldn’t sort a move away from the club before the final weeks of the transfer window. Fruchtl decided to take the next step in his development and joined FC Nurnberg on a season-long loan deal early in the window.
Things have not gone well for Fruchtl at Nurnberg as he has been warming the bench as the second-choice goalkeeper. Speaking to Bild this week, Nurnberg sporting director Dieter Hecking hinted that Fruchtl would remain the second-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the campaign.
"“We have to look at ourselves first. Christian Früchtl has played a major role in ensuring that Christian Mathenia is in very good form again.”“It’s certainly not an easy situation for him at the moment because the goalkeeper position is rarely rotated. If he ever has to replace Mathenia, I have no concerns about him. I’m always watching him in training and I see that he has taken the next step with us.”"
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In such a scenario, Die Roten should be looking to terminate Fruchtl’s loan in January. They should look for a club where he will be getting consistent playing time. The young goalkeeper is highly rated in Bavaria, but he will need experience at the senior level to develop various aspects of his game.
Die Roten has been hit and misses regarding loan spells for young players. The most disappointing loan move in the past few seasons was Renato Sanches joining Swansea City. The Portuguese midfielder had a torrid time in the Premier League, and his confidence was shot to pieces when he returned to Bavaria the following season.
Lately, the German Champions had struck gold with Adrian Fein’s move to Hamburg. The German midfielder became an important part of the team and played consistently throughout last season. He was handed a new deal at Bayern in January, but the German left for PSV Eindhoven on a loan with an option to buy deal during the deadline day.
A poor loan spell can have a damaging impact on the confidence of a young player. Fruchtl finds himself in a tricky position right now. He will be better served by training with the first-team rather than warming the bench at Nurnberg. His immediate future should be a priority for Die Roten when the window opens this week.