Who will replace Jules after he leaves the team? Kickers take stock of Bayern's internal and external candidates

Tiger Poker 02/11 - Jules will leave Bayern at the end of the season. Who will take his place? The Kickers posted an inventory of possible candidates within and outside the Bayern team.

Bayern's personnel planning department has taken into account the possibility that their player Jules may leave. They analysed the players' playing time, pitch performance and condition and based on these findings, they made proposals for further cooperation with the players. As a result, the club's ideas cannot be reconciled with those of the player, who has made 37 appearances for the national team.

Jules moved to Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017, when he was said to be earning around €8 million a year, and he allegedly demanded that his previous annual salary be doubled. However, Bayern executives do not want to pay that much, and of course the new contract period will not exceed five years. Bayern stuck to the offer they made in the autumn of 2021 and conveyed a clear message: either Jules accepts or he has to go.

Jules will leave at the end of the season. His future owner is Dortmund. As a result, bayern top brass must fill the gap caused by Jules' departure, even if he has not fully cashed in on his talent at Bayern. For the defender position, Bayern has both internal and external solutions.

Pavard prefers the middle and Upamecano has yet to integrate into the team

The first candidate chosen after discussions at Bayern's decision-making level was Pavard. The 2018 French world champion is usually on the right side of Bayern's four-back or three-back defensive system, but he himself prefers a position in the middle. In this case, a new right-back must be found. Josep Stanišić within the team is considered a usable replacement for this job. The situation for right-back players in the transfer market is extremely complex. Compared to finding a centre-back, it is easier for Bayern because they have been working in this position for a long time.

Bayern's centre-forwards are Upa Mecano (23), Lucas Hernandez (25) and Kwasi (19). Upa Mecano moved from Leipzig at the start of the season for €42.5 million and has not yet integrated into the team. Jules currently appears to be more stable and reliable. The record-setting hernandez (€80 million) also has the potential to improve, although his game has improved markedly. And the so-called top genius Kwassy, even after a year and a half, still can't make clear value judgments and clear predictions about him. He was often absent and played too erratically.

So can Nagelsman count on Upa Mecano to partner Hernandez as a centre-back in the four-back system, if the manager chooses three-back, plus Pavard? Besides, is Quacy already a reliable substitute?

Rudiger's annual salary may be too high, and Gintelle and others are not yet sure

Of course, Bayern's head is also looking for solutions to these problems outside the team. Rudiger (28) can leave Chelsea on free at the end of the season, and his all-out and ruthless style of play meets the highest international standards set by the Bayern hierarchy. However, the player, who has made 49 appearances for the national team, is said to have been paid too much annually.

Rudiger's teammate Andreas Christensen (25) was also free at the end of the season. It is said that he likes Bayern's robust style and good technique. Also rumored is De Ligt (22 years old, on a contract with Juventus until 2024).

Bayern and candidates in Germany have not agreed, such as Günter (28), who will leave Mönchengladbach on 1 July, or Schlotterbeck (22), whose contract with Freiburg expires in 2023, but he may move to Dortmund. Generally speaking, money should only be invested when a player joins the team and is sure to strengthen the squad, and should not be randomly introduced. So here's the problem: top players are hard to come by and cost a lot of money.