The Bundesliga title race was settled on Sunday as Bayer Leverkusen clinched their first title by sealing a comfortable 5-0 win against Werder Bremen. Bayern were close to Leverkusen in the points table at the start of the year, but they lost the ground during Ruckrunde. Xabi Alonso’s team currently has a lead of 16 points at the top of the table.
Bayern are expected to come up with a strong response next season. They have already started working on the squad-building process. It does look like they are now closing on a deal for a new head coach to replace Thomas Tuchel in the summer.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern are in advanced negotiations with Julian Nagelsmann for the head coach position. The hierarchy at Bayern is convinced that Nagelsmann is the right coach to complete the squad overhaul. They are currently in talks to offer a long-term contract to Nagelsmann.
The German coach is also open to the idea of returning to Bayern. He became the leading candidate for this role after Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. Nagelsmann wants to sort out his future this month, while Die Roten are also eager to have a deal in place for a new coach by the end of April.
Sky Sports further reported that Bayern’s backup options for Nagelsmann are Roberto De Zerbi and Unai Emery. Max Eberl reportedly held talks with De Zerbi during the international break. As things stand, Nagelsmann is the clear favourite to replace Tuchel at the end of the season.
Nagelsmann will join Bayern after completing the Euros assignment with the German national team. Bayern will have to discuss transfer plans with him in May before he completely focuses on the German national team.
The return of Nagelsmann to Bayern will complete a significant cycle of events at the club in the last 18 months. The former Hoffenheim head coach was sacked by Die Roten in March 2023 due to inconsistent performances on the pitch. It was a surprising decision from the club chiefs since Bayern were alive in all competitions.
There have been significant changes at Bayern since Nagelsmann’s departure. The German coach will work with a completely different structure than he did in his first stint. Nagelsmann won one Bundesliga title during his first stint. He will look to win more trophies if he completes a sensational return to Munich.