The last summer transfer window was very busy and productive for Bayern Munich. The German club underwent a mini-overhaul in the squad as five senior players arrived in Bavaria while three players left the club. Hasan Salihamidzic was lauded for the work he did in the summer, as the club addressed most of their key areas.
Sadio Mane hit the ground running for Die Roten, while Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui established themselves as key players by the end of Hinrunde. Mathys Tel has shown moments of brilliance in limited opportunities. Bayern is reportedly pleased with the progress of the 17-year-old forward since arriving from Rennes for a hefty fee.
Ryan Gravenberch is the only summer signing yet to have a breakthrough moment at Bayern. The Dutch midfielder has struggled for consistent playing time. Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Marcel Sabitzer are ahead of him in the midfield position. It has been a frustrating few months for the promising young midfielder.
Courtesy of less playing time at Bayern, Gravenberch was not part of the Dutch squad for the World Cup 2022. Despite the underwhelming start, Bayern retains faith in him. While talking to SportBild this month, Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic backed Ryan Gravenberch to eventually find his feet in the first team when he gets more opportunities in Ruckrunde.
"“Ryan did well in preseason. He didn’t have a lot of playing time, but we have full confidence in him. I’m certain he will play more games in the coming months.”"
Apart from two starts in the Champions League, Gravenberch has largely started on the bench for Die Roten this season. He has clocked 485 minutes of appearances for Bayern across all competitions. The Dutch midfielder has been alright in limited playing time but not spectacular enough to force Julian Nagelsmann to give him a run of games.
Moreover, Nagelsmann was under pressure during September when results in the Bundesliga were poor over a long stretch. The German coach decided to stick with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich in the midfield after the first international break. Results kept on improving, which made sure Naglesmann rarely rotated the team.
However, the German coach will have to manage the squad better in the second half of the season. Players have accumulated fatigue after participation in the World Cup, so their workload needs to be managed to avoid injuries. In such a scenario, Ryan Gravenberch should try to leave a solid impression in the opportunities he will get from next month.
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
Bayern has struggled to integrate young midfielders into the squad for the past five seasons. Renato Sanches, Marc Roca, and Mickael Cuisance failed to get adequate playing time, which eventually forced them to leave the club. The Bavarian faithful will be hoping that Gravenberch and Die Roten will stop this worrying trend sooner rather than later.