MY ACCOUNT
Bayern Munich could win their 11th consecutive league title this weekend, but new head coach Thomas Tuchel still looks ready to perform major surgery on his squad.
The Bundesliga champions have only won five of their 10 matches under the German, allowing Borussia Dortmund back into the title race and granting Manchester City passage into the Champions League semi-finals.
Three players who have spent 12 months or less in Munich could be set to depart, with reports suggesting that Joao Cancelo, Ryan Gravenberch and Sadio Mane have no future at the club.
While the trio may not be to Tuchel’s fancy, none are likely to be short of offers if they are on the market this summer.
Joao Cancelo
Cancelo’s switch to Bayern in January caught everybody off guard — not least it seems, his new employers, who have never seemed sure how to use him.
Only a few weeks after his high-profile loan switch, stories emerged that previous manager Julian Nagelsmann did not fancy Cancelo in his preferred five-at-the-back system.
And while the Portuguese has started eight of Tuchel’s 10 matches in charge, a pre-agreed £60million clause is unlikely to be activated for a player who does not seem a natural fit.
The full-back will presumably return to Manchester City this summer, where he is likely to have the majority of Europe to pick from next. Whether the Citizens are prepared to sell yet another player to Arsenal, who are reportedly interested, is another matter.
Ryan Gravenberch
There is no doubting Gravenberch’s talent, but getting through the traffic into one of the starting central midfield positions has been beyond him during his first season in Munich.
Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Jamal Musiala have been the regulars in that role, leading the Dutchman to publicly question his playing time.
With Manchester City and Liverpool both in the market for midfielders this summer, the Ajax academy graduate will not be short of takers.
A switch to Anfield could particularly appeal considering the midfield overhaul that Jurgen Klopp is intent on delivering this summer.
Sadio Mane
Of the three new signings already on their way out of the club, Mane’s demise is the most surprising.
The Senegalese seemed purpose-built for Bayern when he signed last summer, with his pace, trickery and athleticism of a similar mould to the attackers already at the club.
But an injury that saw the 31-year-old miss the World Cup at the end of 2022 put a dampener on his campaign.
He fell down the pecking order behind Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, who he reportedly punched after the game at the Etihad last month.
A return to Liverpool is surely out of the question, with Chelsea and Newcastle more likely to be interested in bringing him back to the Premier League.
Potential replacements
Bayern are likely to replace Mane with a centre forward having suffered, relatively, without the goals of Robert Lewandowski this season.
Victor Osimhen is the dream target for all of Europe’s biggest clubs but both he and Harry Kane are more likely to explore moves elsewhere if they are to leave their current clubs.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani feels like a more realistic target, while an unlikely move for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has also been mooted.
In midfield, Chelsea pair Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic are both reported targets and could fill the void left by Gravenberch.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has had an outstanding season at right-back and could be a candidate to replace Cancelo in defence.
But first up is a top-of-the-table clash as third-placed RB Leipzig visit the Allianz Arena for a potentially decisive showdown.
