Competition for starting eleven spots has always been fierce at FC Bayern. However, the transfer of João Palhinha has led to a real jockeying for position in the midfield of the German record champions.
New coach Vincent Kompany has a real surplus of defensive midfield players at his disposal for the coming season. Alongside Palhinha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Konrad Laimer, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich are fighting for the coveted places in the starting eleven.
But which player has the best chances? Who will Kompany put his trust in? And who might leave FC Bayern this summer? sport.de gives an overview of the current developments!
According to reports, FC Bayern shelled out a whopping 50 million euros for the transfer of João Palhinha. Bonus payments could increase the sum by another five million. It is not just because of this mega investment that the Portuguese is likely to be a fixture at Munich for the time being.
The 29-year-old is exactly the player that was sorely missed under former head coach Thomas Tuchel at FC Bayern. Last year, Tuchel wanted to sign the number six as a so-called “holding six”. With Palhinha, his successor Kompany now has a classic sweeper in the squad who is supposed to go into tackles in front of the defense. Palhinha also impresses with a good overview and an outstanding defensive transition game.
It was not for nothing that Portugal coach Roberto Martinez had raved about his protégé around the European Championship: “He had a big influence on our game. He makes the players around him better.”
England legend Gary Lineker also recently praised Palhinha. “With him, you get what you pay for: the ultimate defensive midfielder. Something solid! He is physically strong and reads the game very well,” said the 63-year-old in “Sport Bild”.
Several Bayern stars are likely to fight for the place next to Palhinha.
Aleksandar Pavlovic currently has the best cards in the battle for the second number six position. At least that’s what the “Bild” newspaper recently reported.
The shooting star, who missed the European Championship at short notice due to his tonsillitis, attracted attention last season and even then pushed a player like Leon Goretzka onto the bench.
A midfield duo consisting of the experienced Palhinha, who provides defensive cover, and the carefree Pavlovic, who is considered a strong strategist with the ball and running, could well promise success.
Konrad Laimer, on the other hand, will probably have to worry about a place in the starting eleven. The Austrian did impress in the Champions League second leg against Real Madrid and also played a strong European Championship. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is anything but a certainty.
Last season, Laimer often switched between starting and playing as a substitute. A similar scenario awaits him in the coming season.
There have been no recent rumours of an early departure. The versatile ex-Leipzig player could possibly also be used on the right side of defence under Kompany, where he helped out on several occasions last season.
Leon Goretzka already had a difficult time at FC Bayern last season. The Palhinha transfer has made his situation even worse.
Nevertheless, various media outlets have recently reported that Goretzka wants to stay at FC Bayern. The 29-year-old may be hoping that the cards will be reshuffled under Kompany.
At his presentation, the new coach finally stressed: “I will not make any distinctions, I just want to see which players are the hungriest to represent this club and be successful.”
Recently, however, Goretzka has been repeatedly mentioned as a candidate for the cut. According to “Sport Bild”, a departure is not out of the question if it becomes apparent during the preparations that he will not play a major role under Kompany.
If he were to sell, FC Bayern would probably get a decent transfer fee. Most recently, it was said that Manchester United was willing to pay 40 million euros for Goretzka.
There are also constant rumors about Joshua Kimmich’s departure. The 29-year-old is being linked with top clubs such as FC Barcelona, where Hansi Flick is now the coach. No agreement has yet been reached on an extension of his contract, which expires in 2025. A sale in the summer is therefore likely.
In contrast to some other candidates for sale, the 29-year-old, who can be deployed flexibly, has a large market and would bring a decent sum into Munich’s coffers if he were transferred.
According to the “tz”, Vincent Kompany and his coaching team in particular have high hopes for Kimmich.
If the DFB star stays at FC Bayern, he will probably still be planned as a right-back. He already played as a full-back last season and at the European Championships.
Raphaël Guerreiro also has little chance of getting a number six spot, although his regular position is on the left side of defence anyway.
Lissy Beckonert
Source: www.sport.de
