Bayern Munich loan watch: Josip Stanišić wins Bundesliga title, Alexander Nübel stars for Stuttgart
By Tushar Bahl
It was a successful season for all of Bayern Munich’s loanees, with Josip Stanišić helping Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title and Alexander Nübel leading the overachieving Stuttgart to Champions League qualification. Here we take a look at how they all fared in our Bayern loan watch.
Josip Stanišić
When Bayern Munich allowed Josip Stanišić to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan, they probably didn’t think that Xabi Alonso’s side would become their title rivals. Yet, Die Werkself stunned the world and ended Bayern’s dominance in the Bundesliga, completing the entire season unbeaten.
Stanišić established himself as a key player for Leverkusen, making a total of 38 appearances in various positions. He played primarily at center-back, but also featured at right wing-back and on the opposite flank.
The 24 year old’s best performance arguably came against his parent club, as he scored in Leverkusen’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in February. Leverkusen never looked back after that win, and cruised to the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal crown in the end. In total, the Croatian international scored four goals and assisted a further six, an impressive feat for a defender.
It is currently unclear what the future holds for Stanišić, even if he is initially set to return to Bayern Munich this summer.