Are full-back positions cause for concern at Bayern Munich?

Is Alphonso Davies at the risk of losing spot in the starting XI?

When Bayern won the treble in 2020, Alphonso Davies was arguably the best left back-back in the world. Having not reached his prime, it was always going to be difficult to maintain such high standards. With Real Madrid showing strong interest in him over the last 12 months, the performances of the 23-year-old Canadian waned so significantly that he lost his starting spot to the now-departed Noussair Mazraoui (quite an irony on the surface).  

In the last 18 months, Davies has become a rather polarizing figure to the Bayern fanbase. With his best years still ahead of him, it would be a bitter bill to swallow for Die Roten if he were to become a Real Madrid player in January or next summer, irrespective of a transfer fee. Moreover, it would be a nightmarish reminder of where things went wrong with Toni Kroos and David Alaba in years gone by. At the same time, some fans are of the view that the Bayern chiefs were right to not succumb to the player’s high salary demands.

Before the start of the season, Kompany expressed the view that he was eager to work with Davies and was planning with him as an important player. Following the events of matchday two, that may no longer be the case. As far as squad planning goes, the situation with Davies is far more worrying than that with Boey. As things currently stand, the acquisition of Hiroki Ito could very well turn out to be the best piece of business that Die Roten did over the summer, despite him currently being unavailable due to injury. The Japanese defender can play in the left-back position. If Davies struggles to perform consistently, Ito will have a chance to cement a place in the starting XI with Guerreiro providing the cover in the left-back position.