The winter transfer window was expected to be a quiet one for Bayern Munich. However, the serious injury to Manuel Neuer during vacation has forced Die Roten’s hand in the market. The German international has been ruled out for the rest of the season, so Bayern wants to sign a number one for Ruckrunde.
In the past few days, one thing that can be established from several reports in Germany is that Bayern will certainly have a new number one for the second half of the season. Sven Ulreich will continue to be the deputy goalkeeper in the next six months despite the serious injury to Neuer.
The first option for Die Roten is to bring an end to Alexander Nubel’s loan deal at Monaco in January. The Bavarian club will have to negotiate with Monaco for compensation since Nubel had joined on a two-year loan deal. Kicker is reporting that Die Roten is waiting for an answer from Monaco to break the loan deal after 18 months.
Sport1 has also insisted that negotiations with Monaco are likely to be complex since the French club is not keen on parting ways with Nubel in January. The former Schalke goalkeeper has been in fine form for Ligue 1 club during the last 18 months.
The other option for Bayern is Yann Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach. Sport1 and Sky Sports in Germany have confirmed Die Roten’s interest in the Swiss goalkeeper. Sommer is set to become a free agent in the summer, so he will not be an expensive option in the winter transfer window.
News #Nübel: Still no contact with the player but loose contact with Monaco. Sommer remains hot. Bayern prefers a German speaking goalie who can help immediately! They have to find a strong No. 1 beyond summer because no one knows when Neuer will actually return. @SkySportDE 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/YImbeEvFh3
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 20, 2022
Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper Dominik Livakovic and PSG’s Keylor Navas have also been linked with a move to Bayern. However, deals to sign one of these two keepers are complex for different reasons.
Livakovic will be expensive after shining for Croatia at the World Cup 2022, while PSG is maybe reluctant to part ways with Navas before the Champions League clash with Die Roten later this season. Considering these complexities in both lists, the list narrows down to Sommer and Nubel for Die Roten.
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In an ideal scenario, Bayern sorts out the goalkeeping situation before the first team returns to training on January 3. Nubel will need assurances over his role beyond the current season, so there is a lot of work to do before bringing him to Bavaria. The best possible solution will be bringing Nubel back to the club. He can be nurtured as Neuer’s long-term successor. Sommer is a solid goalkeeper, but he is also entering the final phase of his career.