Bayern Munich suffered another massive injury blow this week. Manuel Neuer has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he broke his leg while ski touring. The veteran goalkeeper underwent surgery on Saturday. Neuer has confirmed that he will not be playing again this season.
Neuer will be sorely missed since he is a leader in the dressing room. The German international remains a key player on the pitch, so his confidence in the box will be sorely missed. Bayern does have an able deputy in Sven Ulreich, but they can also bring Alexander Nubel back from Monaco.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Alexander Nubel is open to a return to Bayern in January. However, the young German goalkeeper wants assurances over playing time when Neuer recovers from injury. Sitting on the bench as Neuer’s deputy every gameweek is not an option for Nubel.
Meanwhile, Ran in Germany is reporting that Bayern has opened talks with Monaco to bring an end to Nubel’s loan deal in January. The French club will receive a fee for early termination, but it remains to be seen if they are ready to part ways with a crucial player midway through the season.
Ran also insists that Nubel also needs concrete assurances from Julian Nagelsmann and his coaching staff to seal a return to Bavaria in January. The next couple of weeks will bring more clarity on where Nubel will be playing in the second half of the season. His agent has not heard anything about an early return, but he believes Monaco and Bayern need to sort out a deal before opening talks with him.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic considers Alexander Nubel as the long-term replacement of Neuer. The Bavarian club wants to extend Nubel’s contract beyond 2025, but the young goalkeeper doesn’t want to sit on the bench. If Neuer remains the number one for next season, Alexander Nubel will seek a loan or permanent move in the summer.
Nubel endured a difficult debut season at Bayern when he joined as a free agent in 2020. He played very few games since Neuer started most of the games. The Bavarian club decided to send Nubel out on loan to Monaco for two years. Nubel has been one of Monaco’s key players in the last 18 months, so the loan move turned out to be a big step in his development.
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The next six months will give Bayern ample amount of time to see Nubel in big games. If he performs well, then Neuer may have to considerably share his playing time from next season. Neuer’s injury is a massive blow for Die Roten, but it does open up a window of opportunity for Alexander Nubel.