Bayern Munich chiefs have their work cut out to find the successor of Thomas Tuchel after Xabi Alonso decides to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spanish coach was the top target for Bayern to take over the head coach position in the summer.
Max Eberl and Christoph Freund will work on the alternative options after Alonso announced his decision on Friday. Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi is a strong candidate for this role, as Eberl held talks with him during the international break. Aston Villa's Unai Emery has also been linked with a move to Bayern.
Apart from De Zerbi, Julian Nagelsmann has now emerged as another strong candidate to become Bayern’s new head coach. On Friday, Sky Sports in Germany reported that Nagelsmann is on Bayern’s shortlist. Meanwhile, Bild reported that Eberl has already held talks with Nagelsmann’s representatives.
Nagelsmann is currently the head coach of the German national team. His contract with DFB will end after the Euros in the summer. Nagelsmann is open to deciding on his future before the Euros. DFB is ready to offer him a contract extension, but Bayern’s interest in Nagelsmann may impact their plans.
It will be a sensational turn of events if Bayern hire Nagelsmann. Die Roten had sacked Nagelsmann in 2023. Thomas Tuchel replaced Nagelsmann after the international break in March 2023. The Bavarian club parted ways with the 36-year-old due to a lack of consistency in performances during his second season in Bavaria.
As per Bild, Nagelsmann is open to returning to Bayern in the summer. There have been significant changes at Bayern in the last 12 months. Nagelsmann worked with Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic during his stay in Munich. Both of them have left the club. Jan Christian-Dreesen, Max Eberl, and Christoph Freund are the key sporting decision-makers at Bayern.
The decision to sack Nagelsmann was a strange one at that time. The performances on the pitch were inconsistent, but Bayern were still alive in all three competitions. He deserved more time to rectify the issues and eventually make Die Roten a more consistent team. With the new hierarchy at Bayern, Nagelsmann may get the opportunity to implement changes in the first team.
It’s been a year since Bayern fired Julian Nagelsmann.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 24, 2024
A reminder of his record as Bayern coach:
84 games: 60 W, 14 D, 10 L
71.4% win percentage
1 Bundesliga title
2 German Super Cups
8/8 wins in UCL in 2022-23
He also just coached Germany to an impressive win in France 👏 pic.twitter.com/0qgvoaQIoN
Nevertheless, Bayern will look to accelerate the process of hiring the new head coach in the coming weeks. The record Bundesliga champions want a deal in place for the new coach before the end of the season. At this point, it does look like the top two candidates for this role are Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann.