The Bundesliga is currently home to two most exciting midfield talents in Europe. Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham have been in fine form this season. They also delivered impressive performances in World Cup 2022 last month, attracting plaudits from several clubs.
Bayern is planning a contract renewal for Musiala even though the current deal expires in 2026. The Bavarian club considers Musiala indispensable in the squad. Die Roten wants to reward his impressive performances this season with an improved deal.
Meanwhile, Dortmund is expecting a big bidding war for Jude Bellingham in the summer. Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Manchester City have been heavily linked with a summer move for Bellingham. Other top European clubs will also join the race if Bellingham gives them encouragement.
Bayern is not expected to be in the race for Bellingham. However, they tried their best to sign him in 2020 when he was leaving Birmingham City. While talking to Mundo Deportivo, former Birmingham City CEO Ren Xuandong admits that Bayern made a late attempt to hijack Dortmund’s move for Bellingham.
"“Bayern were trying to raise the offer at the last minute. They offered a lot of money as a bonus to the player.”“Until the last day, when he was going to sign with Dortmund, I received a call from his father asking me to wait before signing the transfer. But Jude chose Dortmund over Bayern despite not being sure to win titles and money. He put all that behind his development.”"
Considering Bellingham’s talent, he would have definitely broken into the first team at Bayern. Moreover, the development of Musiala and Alphonso Davies in the last three seasons does suggest that Die Roten is not afraid to trust youngsters in the first team.
Regardless of the missed opportunity to join Bayern, Bellingham has steadily developed at Dortmund. He recently captained Dortmund in the Champions League, which highlights his growth as a player and leader on the pitch. The youngster’s good performances at the club level helped him to get a place in the starting XI of England during World Cup 2022.
Die Roten is currently stacked in the midfield department, so a move to Bavaria will not make sense for Bellingham in the summer. Moreover, Dortmund is expecting a fee of over €100 million for the midfield star. Bayern cannot afford to spend such an amount in an area where they already have several options.
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
The only midfield signing for Bayern in the summer will be Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig. The Austrian midfielder has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Bavarian club. He will be joining on a free transfer since his contract with Leipzig expires at the end of the season. Die Roten tried to sign Konrad Laimer last summer, but Leipzig rejected all three offers for the midfielder.