The squad planning at Bayern Munich has resulted in mixed outcomes in the past couple of years. The club officials took some brave decisions and parted ways with senior players to give more responsibility to younger players. Along with refreshing the squad with new signings, Rekordmeister has also been planning well to find the right successors for senior players.
In the coming years, Bayern will need a new number one as Manuel Neuer is entering the twilight of his career. The German international is going strong at 35, but soon Die Roten will need a successor for such an outstanding stopper.
According to Sport1’s Florian Plettenberg (via iMiaSanMia), the club chiefs still have faith in Alexander Nubel to eventually become the number one goalkeeper in Bavaria. The young German shot-stopper is currently enjoying a good amount of playing time in his loan spell at Monaco.
Nubel was coveted as one of the most promising goalkeepers in German football. Die Roten moved swiftly in 2020 to sign Nubel from Schalke on a shot-stopper, beating competition from numerous Bundesliga and European clubs. Nubel’s entourage insisted that Die Roten offered the best possible package, which included playing time, compared to other clubs.
Bayern have told Alexander Nübel's representatives that the club is still planning with him to become number one in Munich one day. Hasan Salihamidžić, who was responsible for the signing, has a good relationship with Nübel's agent & speaks to him regularly [🎧 MBW, @Plettigoal] pic.twitter.com/3ffFRjJwp4
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) October 22, 2021
Things didn’t pan out well for Nubel as he expected during his debut season in Bavaria. Neuer was not showing any signs of decline, which allowed him to play consistently in the first team. The 35-year-old goalkeeper started almost every game, which didn’t allow Nubel to get adequate playing time.
Nubel eventually secured a loan move to Monaco last summer to continue his development. He is starting almost every game for the French club. There has been some criticism for the young shot-stopper in France, but regular playing time will definitely allow him to get back to his best.
Meanwhile, Neuer continues to deliver at the highest level. His saves against Benfica on Wednesday helped Bayern to secure the third Champions League clean sheet of the season. In order to retire in Bavaria, Neuer is reportedly open to signing a new contract with Die Roten. His current deal is set to expire in 2023.
A new deal for Neuer will not be good news for Nubel unless the veteran German international is ready to share playing time when the loan spell at Monaco comes to an end. The Bavarian club has brilliantly handled the retirement/departures of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and Philipp Lahm in the recent past. They do face a challenging task in the case of the Neuer-Nubel scenario. A decision that doesn’t disrespect Neuer and serves the club well in the long term will be the ideal outcome.