It is looking likely that Manuel Neuer will retire from professional football at the end of this season after turning 41. It will be the end of a wonderful and memorable 15-year bond between Bayern Munich and one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Fortunately for Bayern, there is already a worthy replacement in line to take over Neuer's position as starting goalkeeper.
Jonas Urbig is being slowly integrated into Bayern's rotation this season after two years as an understudy next to Neuer.
Neuer himself seems to endorse Urbig as his successor both at club and country.
Recently, the 23-year-old made his debut for Germany and kept back-to-back clean sheets against Serbia and Greece.
With Urbig poised to be the leading man between the sticks from next season, Bayern is looking to find a suitable backup for the young keeper.
Sven Ulreich is currently the third choice, but he is also bound to retire soon at 38.
The club is searching for an "experienced and loyal second-choice keeper" who would accept his role as a backup.
A younger keeper is also out of the equation, as the board is showing full confidence and trust in Urbig.
Approximately seven or eight candidates are on the cards, with no concrete talks just yet.
Here are five possible players who fit the bill and can improve Bayern's squad depth between the sticks.
Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
The 34-year-old Englishman is rumoured to be one of Bayern's top targets for a backup keeper next season.
Pope has excellent experience with over 10 years in the Premier League for Burnley and Newcastle, starting the majority of them.
This season, he lost his starting spot at St. James' Park to Czechia's Lukas Hornicek after being hampered by injuries.
Pope would likely accept a smaller role at Bayern Munich considering his age and injury history, but would still provide a decent alternative option and mentor young Urbig.
Bernd Leno (Fulham)
The nine-time German international can be a massive upgrade over Ulreich as a second-choice keeper for Bayern Munich.
Leno has spent over eight years in England playing for Arsenal and Fulham, after starting out at Bayer Leverkusen.
The 34-year-old might be interested in a return to his home country, playing for a top club and winning a few pieces of silverware to cap off his career.
Marvin Schwabe (Koln)
It could be a good idea to reunite Jonas Urbig with his former teammate Marvin Schwabe from Koln.
Schwabe has made over 150 appearances for Koln in all competitions. He shared his goalkeeping duties with Urbig in the 2024/25 season before Bayern cashed in to bring the young keeper to the Allianz Arena.
The 31-year-old has some continental experience playing in the Europa League for Danish side Brondby.
Moritz Nicolas (Borussia M'gladbach)
Nicolas is not a rogue shout for frequent Bundesliga watchers. He has been one of the best shot-stoppers in the league for a few years.
The 28-year-old is leading the league in saves this season. He has quick reflexes and good command of the penalty area.
Despite poor head-to-head results against Bayern, Nicolas had two great outings last season with 12 total saves.
Finn Dahmen (Augsburg)
Dahmen would be a dream signing for Bayern Munich as a backup goalkeeper.
He recently received his first international call-up for Germany after tying Moritz Nicolas with the most saves in the Bundesliga so far this season.
At 28 years old, he is in the prime of his career, which might be a major obstacle for Bayern, as Dahmen might not be ready to accept a diminutive role.
Nonetheless, his quality as a ball-playing goalkeeper is good enough for Bayern to explore a potential move.
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