Bayern Munich is currently blessed with top-quality attacking talents in the first team. There is a great blend of experience and youth in all attacking options for Die Roten. It remains to be seen if the club will look to strengthen the attack after extending the contract of Kingsley Coman.
The number ten position at Die Roten is firmly held by Thomas Muller. After the departure of Pep Guardiola, Muller did struggle for a couple of seasons. The arrival of Hansi Flick as head coach in 2019 was the turning point for Muller. The German forward has been one of the most productive players in Europe.
Muller continues to deliver top-quality performances for Die Roten. The Bavarian club does have a very good option in the form of Jamal Musiala to manage the workload of Muller. In a matter of 18 months, the teenager has established himself as a first-team player at Rekordmeister.
Musiala has very similar qualities as Muller in the final third, but there is still a stark difference in how both can operate in the number ten role. The youngster has been tipped to be the long-term replacement of Muller in the first team at Die Roten. While talking to SportBild, Musiala insisted that there will be no one similar to Muller.
"“Thomas is a great guy and footballer, there’s no one else like him. There is no one in professional football who can talk as much as Thomas. Just like Manu [Neuer], he’ll play for a few years yet.”“In his way of playing and his role, there’s no one who can replace him. If I were to play in that position, I would bring my own style to it.”"
Musiala and Muller can also operate together for Die Roten. The youngster was deployed in a deeper role by Julian Nagelsmann during the last few games of Hinrunde. Musiala operated as a number eight, making runs from the deep and often forming a double number ten when Rekordmeister is on the front foot.
In the future, there is a good chance of Musiala becoming the first choice number ten at Bayern. For now, he is likely to play as an eight or wide player. Even though he has taken big strides in the last 18 months, there is still a lot to learn for the teenager. Nagelsmann has a good track record of improving young players, so Musiala has the ideal coach at the club.
In the interview with SportBild, Musiala also outlined his targets with Germany in 2022. The youngster is hoping to become a key player for Germany during the World Cup in Qatar. He is aiming to achieve collective and individual success, making up for last year’s disappointing exit from Euro 2020.
For now, Musiala’s focus will be to contribute with goals and assists to help Die Roten win the Champions League and Bundesliga. He may not be an automatic starter when all senior players are fit and available, but there will be enough opportunities for him to make an impact for Rekordmeister.