The last couple of weeks have seen German reports dominating the center-back situation at Bayern Munich. The defending Bundesliga champions confirmed the summer departure of Niklas Sule. The German defender’s departure was further amplified after Borussia Dortmund confirmed his transfer on a free transfer.
Die Roten is now looking to find an adequate replacement. It does look like one of the internal solutions to replace Sule has been ruled out by Rekordmeister. According to Sport1, Bayern Munich is having doubts about Tanguy Nianzou. The German club doesn’t consider the young French defender as a direct replacement for Sule.
The German club managed to beat several clubs in Europe for his signature as he left Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. However, things have not gone as per plan for the French defender. Nianzou has been very unfortunate ever since joining Die Roten 18 months ago.
The debut season for Nianzou was largely clouded by consistent injury problems. He was not available for a run of games due to injuries, which eventually limited his chances. Hasan Salihamidzic tipped him to become a key player for Rekordmeister in the long run.
Nianzou is no longer struggling with injuries, but his playing time has been very limited during the second season in the Bundesliga. There is intense competition for center-back positions, so Nianzou has to be content with opportunities from the bench.
Regular training with the first team will definitely help Nianzou to improve as a player. However, the report from Sport1 does suggest that Rekordmeister doesn’t think Nianzou is ready to become a regular for the player. The situation surrounding limited game time is not going to change for Nianzou in the next three months unless there is a big injury crisis in the heart of the defense.
If Die Roten doesn’t believe that Nianzou is not yet ready, then the player and club should definitely look to sort a good loan move in the summer. A loan move to Bundesliga will benefit all parties, provided Nianzou gets the chance to play as many games as possible. Nianzou reportedly remains determined to be a success at Die Roten in the long run. He is not looking for a permanent transfer despite changing his agent.
Meanwhile, Rekordmeister will be looking to find a replacement for Sule in the transfer market. The Bavarian club has already intensified efforts to sign Andreas Christensen from Chelsea. The Danish defender will be a free agent in the summer.
Apart from Nianzou, Rekordmeister also has one more internal solution to replace Sule. Benjamin Pavard could be moved to the center-back position from next season. He is limited as a full-back, but he looks comfortable in the heart of the defense. Sule’s decision to leave will have an impact on the club’s transfer plans and the roles of other first-team players.