Bayern Munich were fairly busy in the last two transfer windows to strengthen the goalkeeper department. The Bavarian club targeted several top-quality goalkeepers in the summer, but they couldn’t get deals over the line for different reasons. Bayern eventually decided to stick with Sven Ulreich as the number one until Manuel Neuer returned from injury and signed Daniel Peretz from Maccabi Tel Aviv to add more depth to this position.
In the winter transfer window at the start of 2023, Bayern were forced to dip into the transfer market for a goalkeeper after Manuel Neuer broke his leg during a ski trip accident. The record Bundesliga champions tried to recall Alexander Nubel from the loan spell at Monaco, but the player was not keen.
Eventually, Bayern signed Yann Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach for a small fee. The Swiss goalkeeper has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga for several seasons, so the deal made sense for Die Roten.
Sommer ended up lifting the Bundesliga title at the end of the campaign, but he had a mixed campaign with Bayern. He made some big errors but also managed to pull off some incredible saves. Since Neuer was set to return this season, Sommer left Munich to join Inter Milan in the summer to get consistent playing time. While talking to Blick (via Sky Sports), Sommer revealed how intense spotlight and non-constructive criticism affected him at Bayern.
"“It was a bit uncomfortable; I won’t hide that. It leaves marks on you, that’s for sure. Criticism is part of my job, I can live with it, but when it’s not constructive, it’s harder to get something out of it. I myself can judge whether I played a good game or not, but I don’t get annoyed when someone has an opinion and says it publicly. Everyone has the right to express themselves.”"
Sommer kept eight clean sheets in 25 games across all competitions for Bayern during the six months. The Swiss goalkeeper was not helped by the lack of organization and chaos in front of him as Die Roten struggled to control most games in the second half of last season. (Stats courtesy: Transfermarkt)
The Swiss international’s best performance came away at Manchester City in the Champions League. If not for him in the goal, Die Roten would have suffered an even worse defeat against Pep Guardiola’s men. Sommer is right about over-the-top criticism in Munich about his performances when the whole team was struggling.
Yann Sommer also admitted that the second half of last season was chaotic at Bayern. There was a lot of uncertainty over the position of several big figures at the club. Julian Nagelsmann was sacked at the end of March, while Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn were dismissed at the end of the season.
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There is much more stability at Bayern this season. The first team is also getting better on the pitch after they got a pre-season with new coach Thomas Tuchel. In the goalkeeping department, Manuel Neuer is set to make his return against Mainz next weekend after spending nine months on the sidelines.