The bosses at Bayern Munich are wasting little time getting to work in the summer transfer window as Sky Sports Reporter Florian Plettenberg announced that the Rekordmeister had reached an agreement to sign Konrad Laimer on a free transfer from RB Leipzig. The former Leipzig midfielder’s transfer to Bayern was announced on Friday and he is viewed internally as a future regular starter.
The Bavarian side will certainly have no issue with depth in the midfield positions as Laimer joins the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala, Ryan Gravenberch, and Marcel Sabitzer (back from his loan move to Manchester United) in what will sure to be a competitive midfield. While the 26-year-old Austrian National teamer looks to fight for his place within the Bavarian side, let’s have a look at what Laimer brings to the midfield competition.
Value
Where have I seen a move like this before? The free signing of Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig should be looked at as a real coup for the Bayern Munich hierarchy. A little over a year ago, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that Bayern was readying a bid of €18/20 million to secure his services before the 2022/23 Bundesliga season. Laimer is a player that at only 26 is entering into the peak years of his career and with a Transfermarkt value of €28 million, not having to pay a transfer fee for his services is a great piece of business.
FC Bayern are preparing an opening bid around €18/20m to begin talks with RB Leipzig for Konrad Laimer - it won’t be easy but Bayern want him 🔴 #FCBayern
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 8, 2022
Julian Nagelsmann is pushing to sign Laimer - as Premier League top clubs are interested too. He’s out of contract in 2023. pic.twitter.com/iLGZklx2pN
Mindset
Coming from the Red Bulls system (77 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg and 130 appearances for RB Leipzig), Laimer is a player that has pressing and defensive work in his DNA. Bunesliga.com wrote a great piece on Laimer referring to him as the “Austrian N’Golo Kante” and complimented his work rate and willingness to do the “Dirty Work”. Former Salzburg and Borussia Monchengladbach manager Adi Hutter was quoted as saying:
"“He is incredibly aggressive on the ball, challenges opponents very hard and brings established professionals to the ground. He knows exactly what he wants.”"
What Bayern is getting in Laimer is a player that wants to press and has no problem putting players under pressure wherever and whenever possible.
Defense (Finally)
It’s one thing to have coaches and pundits talk about the defensive work Laimer puts in, but do the statistics back their observations up? ABSOLUTELY! Despite missing the first part of the season due to a fractured ankle, Laimer returned and put up his normal impressive defensive statistics, averaging 3.7 tackles per 90 mins with a success rate of 55% (31).
More importantly, half of his attempted tackles (30) came in the middle third, showcasing his ability to break up the opposition’s counterattacks before they entered the final third. Additionally, Laimer averaged 4.9 Tackles/Interceptions per 90 mins, which places him in the top 10 in the Bundesliga for the 22/23 season. These stats showcase Laimer’s ability to offer Bayern Munich’s midfield a defensive presence it has been lacking.
Something Different
As stated, Laimer offers the defensive presence Bayern has been without. With reports that the Bayern hierarchy is looking to shake up the midfield and possibly move Joshua Kimmich into an advanced role, the opportunity to pair Kimmich with a more defensive midfielder like Laimer appears to be a possibility. Using Squawka’s 90 mins comparison matrix, the defensive numbers of Laimer and Leon Goretzka show that Laimer offers more defensively than Goretzka. (Stats considered: Ball recoveries, Duels Contested, Tackles Made, Ground Duels contested, Ground Duel’s Success %, Ground Duels Won, and Interceptions)
Admittedly, Leipzig’s playing style does impact some of these statistics, as Laimer is asked to press higher up the field and engage more. However, the success rate for Laimer defensively is quite telling.
When comparing Laimer to Kimmich in Squawka Matrix, the team’s primary #6 throughout the season, Laimer again shows he is more adept at putting in challenges. (Stats considered: Ball recoveries, Duels Contested, Tackles Made, Ground Duels contested, Ground Duel’s Success %, Ground Duels Won, and Interceptions)
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With Laimer’s ball recovery attributes and tackling abilities, any concerns that Kimmich filling a more advanced role would expose the defense are put to rest.
Adding an outstanding defensive player like Konrad Laimer on a free transfer is not only a great piece of business for the record champions, but it also weakens a league rival. With Laimer’s addition, Bayern Munich not only gains a player entering the prime of his career, but they also add a player that brings a defensive element to the team that is currently missing in the crowded midfield.