The winter transfer window was frantic for Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club needed urgent additions to the squad after Lucas Hernandez and Manuel Neuer suffered season-ending injuries at the end of 2022. Die Rote added depth in the defense early in the window by signing Daley Blind on a free transfer, but signing a quality goalkeeper was a much longer process.
Bayern initially wanted to recall Alexander Nubel from his loan spell at Monaco. However, the German goalkeeper wanted to stay with Ligue 1 club until the end of the season. Rekordmeister started looking for a new signing as soon as it was clear that Nubel was staying in Monaco.
The record Bundesliga champions eventually agreed to a fee with Borussia Monchengladbach for Yann Sommer. The Swiss goalkeeper arrived in Bavaria just before the first game of the second half of the season. Before sealing a deal for Sommer, Die Roten explored the signing of an experienced goalkeeper from La Liga.
According to Relevo, Bayern had approached Sevilla’s Bono for a permanent transfer in January. The Bavarian club was impressed with the performances of Bono for Sevilla and the Moroccan national team during the World Cup 2022.
However, Bono was happy with life in Sevilla, so he turned down the chance to sign for Bayern in January. The Moroccan goalkeeper would have been a good fit for Bayern since he had a great amount of experience at the top level in Europe and La Liga.
Sommer has made a decent start to life in Bavaria. He has settled quickly at the club. Sommer does not have several clean sheets to his name at Bayern, but it is not completely down to him, as the team has struggled defensively in Ruckrunde. He has largely looked comfortable whenever Bayern is playing out from the back.
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
Sommer may become the number two next season when Neuer returns to complete fitness. The German international is expected to recover by the time pre-season training begins in July. Neuer remains determined to play at the top level despite suffering a serious injury due to a freak accident on a ski trip in December. Sven Ulreich is also likely to stay at Bayern next season after signing a one-year contract extension.
Nubel will also return to Munich after spending two years on loan at Monaco. The former Schalke goalkeeper wants assurances about game time to stay at Die Roten. The Bavarian club wants to extend Nubel’s contract since they consider him a long-term successor to Neuer. It will be intriguing to see how Bayern resolves the goalkeeping situation in the summer with four senior shot-stoppers in the squad.