The goalkeeping situation at Bayern Munich is expected to be resolved in the coming days. Yann Sommer is looking to complete a move to Inter Milan, but Bayern needs to first secure a replacement. Brentford’s David Raya had emerged as the top target for Die Roten, but it does look like a move will not materialise.
According to Sport1, Bayern’s loan deal with an option to buy has been rejected by Raya. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Brentford has also rejected this deal from Die Roten. The Spain international is in the final year of contract at Brentford, so a loan deal doesn’t make sense.
Raya is also attracting interest from Arsenal. The North London side has opened talks with him, so a move to Bayern is looking unlikely. Brentford wants £40 million for Raya, which makes a permanent deal not feasible for Die Roten.
Sport1 is reporting that Bayern will give Raya some time to rethink his decision. However, Arsenal’s concrete interest will make sure that Die Roten is no longer in the mix to sign the Spanish goalkeeper. The German media outlet has also reported that Sevilla’s Yassine Bounou is a concrete alternative for Rekordmeister.
Understand Arsenal have made contact with David Raya’s camp to start talks on salary — as player prefers Arsenal over Bayern as destination 🔴⚪️🇪🇸
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2023
Discussions are taking place, no issues with Raya but key point will be between clubs as Brentford always insisted on £40m fee. pic.twitter.com/IttkQIo6ob
Bounou was linked with a move to Bayern in January, but he decided to stay in Seville. He enjoyed a strong end to the season with Sevilla by lifting the Europa League. The Moroccan goalkeeper also delivered quality performances during World Cup 2022. His strong performances at World Cup helped Morocco to reach the semi-final stage of the competition.
Bayern will look to resolve the goalkeeping situation sooner rather than later. They will need a number two to replace Sommer before the start of the season since there are question marks over the fitness of Manuel Neuer. The German international has missed the entire pre-season tour as he continues the recovery process from a serious leg injury at Sabner Strasse.
Apart from Bounou, Die Roten has also been linked with several other goalkeepers in the last few days. Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili has been scouted by Bayern regularly. However, the Georgian goalkeeper will be expensive this summer. Brighton’s Roberto Sanchez has also been on Rekordmeister’s shortlist. Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has also been offered to Die Roten this summer.
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The Bundesliga champions are certainly not interested in spending big on a goalkeeper this summer. They are still counting on Manuel Neuer to be the number one next season. However, Thomas Tuchel reportedly wants a strong backup keeper due to uncertainty over the fitness of Neuer.