Bayern Munich squad preview 2024/25: Goalkeeper and Defense
Full-backs
Right-back
With the departure of Noussair Mazraoui to Manchester United and injury to Josip Stanisic, Sacha Boey has the perfect opportunity to cement his place as Bayern’s first choice right-back. Since Stanisic is not expected back until sometime in October, Boey’s main competition for a starting spot until then would be Joshua Kimmich. However, with Coach Vincent Kompany and Kimmich both seeing eye to eye about Kimmich playing in midfield, Boey will have the chance to impress his new coach. Whilst the 23-year-old Frenchman provides a distinct attacking thrust as an overlapping wing-back, he needs to show improvement on the defensive end. In the season-opening 3-2 win against Wolfsburg both aspects of Boey’s game were on display. In the first half he brilliantly set up Jamal Musiala for Bayern’s opening goal, but soon after the start of the second half Wolfsburg were awarded a penalty following his clumsy challenge.
When Stanisic returns to action, he will be a more than capable alternative to Boey. The 24-year-old Croatian international spent last season on loan at Leverkusen and was a major contributor to Leverkusen’s amazing league and cup double triumph. He may not have the attacking flare of Boey, but he is a solid right-back and is also comfortable in a back-three formation.
While Stanisic remains out of action, Konrad Laimer is also an option at right-back. The 27-year-old Austrian is primarily a box-to-box midfielder, but last season he gave some impressive performances at right-back when asked to play in that position. Bayern are clearly well-stacked in the right-back department, with Sacha Boey currently the preferred option.
Left-back
On the left side of the back four, the first choice is also clear, but ironically with a degree of uncertainty as to for how long. Alphonso Davies is Kompany’s first-choice at left-back. The coach considers Davies to be a key player this season. However, with Davies now in the final 12 months of his contract and having not accepted Bayern’s latest offer for a contract extension, the situation is precariously poised. It’s no secret that Real Madrid have their eyes on the Canadian international and, understandably, would prefer to get him on their terms.
At 23, the lightning-fast Davies still has his best years ahead of him, so it would be a shame to lose him either in this transfer window or the next. As things currently stand, if he is still a Bayern player at the close of the current transfer window on 30 August, he would still have the right to negotiate a pre-contract agreement in January for a free-agent move next summer with Real Madrid or any other interested team.
At the very least, Kompany would be hoping to have Davies for the entirety of the current season with a return to his 2020 treble-winning form.
Cover for Davies will come in the form of the highly experienced Portuguese international Raphael Guerreiro. New signing Hiroki Ito, currently out injured, is also an option at left-back when he returns to action.