Football | FC Bayern wants to focus more on talent

This summer, questions of age were often raised when FC Bayern Munich was discussed. The verdicts were usually unflattering. They were told he was quite old, too old, or too expensive for his age. They were referring to the star signing, Luis Díaz, who will soon celebrate his 29th birthday. Depending on his success, the Munich team will have to pay Liverpool between €67.5 million and €75 million in transfer fees for the left winger.

Counter-trend

Díaz has contributed to the fact that the average age of 26.4 years in the Munich squad is currently surpassed only by SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga at 27. But this is partly due to outliers like 39-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer – and partly obscures a counter-trend in the record champions' squad.

A new wave of young, predominantly German talent can be identified at FC Bayern . Among them is 20-year-old Tom Bischof, brought in from Hoffenheim, as well as his midfield colleague Lennart Karl, three years his junior, and 19-year-old Paul Wanner. Most recently, 18-year-old center forward Jonah Kusi-Asare also attracted attention with a beautiful curler to make it 4-0 in a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur. Karl scored the 3-0, also with a curler.

Youth team in the professional squad

The team also includes two 22-year-olds, goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and attacking star Jamal Musial; midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović is a year younger, and right winger Michael Olise from France is a year older. And should the transfer rumblings surrounding Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade gain momentum and even result in a transfer of the 23-year-old to FC Bayern, the Munich club would almost have an entire youth team within their first-team ranks.

The average age would also drop, as winger Kingsley Coman is reportedly about to leave for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia , where Cristiano Ronaldo also counts his money. FC Bayern is looking at a €30 million transfer fee for the Frenchman. His reported €17 million in salary savings could also be used to increase the offers for Woltemade that VfB Stuttgart has so far rejected. The Swabians are aware of this, which is why Alexander Wehrle signaled a willingness to negotiate. "If you absolutely want to sign a player, you should also be able to reach a solution within this time," said the VfB CEO on Monday evening. "We're playing in the Supercup on Saturday. Everything should be sorted out by kickoff at the latest." After the match against Bayern, Woltemade is "not for sale."

Disturbing noises during gameplay

What many interpreted as an ultimatum was more of a plea: if so, please submit a new offer quickly to complete the transfer expeditiously. In Stuttgart, they're annoyed by the constant drama surrounding Woltemade. But they also know that the transfer window doesn't close until September 1st, and that there's a risk of constant disruption to the game until then, after the issue has already permeated preseason. "It's a six-and-a-half-week stretch. At some point, it's enough," Wehrle said.

At FC Bayern, the talented players will also be watching with interest how the club reacts to Coman's departure. First of all, it increases their chances of playing time. This applies especially to the highly talented Karl. Munich's youth director Jochen Sauer recently praised the 1.69-meter-tall dribbler for his "brilliant ball control" – "his finishing is outstanding." Karl is expected to be Olise's backup and will regularly receive playing time.

Escalating costs

This is even more true for Bischof, Leon Goretzka's rival. In March 2022, at the age of 16 years and 263 days, he made his Bundesliga debut as the youngest Hoffenheim player. He now has the experience of 71 professional matches for Hoffenheim and Bayern. He also made his first appearance for coach Julian Nagelsmann's national team in June. And Wanner, after his loan spells at Elversberg and Heidenheim, also has "a huge opportunity" due to Musiala's months-long absence, said Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl. However, he is currently being held back by a ligament injury.

It's clear that the club is pushing for this new wave of young players. Coach Vincent Kompany is said to be giving talented players more opportunities to create their own value, partly due to the escalating costs of the transfer market. The debate surrounding the age of the expensive star signing, Luis Díaz, also reminded us of this goal.