The Bayern Insider: Why Bayern can still beat Man City & Real Madrid to Florian Wirtz

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Florian Wirtz, Kim Min-jae, Kenan Yildiz and more.

Today’s top stories

• Why Max Eberl has complicated Bayern’s interest in Florian Wirtz…
• Could Christopher Nkunku move to Munich this summer?
• What Eberl needs to do to save his job…
• Could one Chelsea midfielder move to Bayern?

Champions League and Bundesliga review

Why Vincent Kompany won’t be judged so harshly

It’s an average season for Bayern Munich – even if they win the Bundesliga title. But without winning this title, it would be very bad season. Normally, no coach in the world could survive such a season at Bayern Munich. That’s why the title is very important for Vincent Kompany. However, it’s not the only reason why the club bosses are behind him; he has the dressing room completely under control. I have to go back to Hansi Flick – because it wasn’t so harmonious during Julian Nagelsmann or Thomas Tuchel’s time with the club – to when things were so pleasant. So, this is perhaps the great achievement of the 2024/25 season.

It would also be dangerous for Max Eberl if Bayern didn’t win the title this year. You see how important it was for Bayern Munich to win the league, as Bayer Leverkusen had their chances, but they weren’t so consistent this season. They didn’t need to play quite as well as they did last season; if they’d just maintained a normal level, it would have been enough to pose a serious challenge to Bayern. So, you see Bayern Munich, and especially Vincent Kompany, needed this season.

In the campaign, Kompany has to prove that he can be a really good coach. This season, he showed he can do it at Bayern Munich (which was also a big question ahead of the term after his departure from relegated Premier League side Burnley). In 2025/26, he has to show more in the Champions League and more in the DFB Pokal. I think he learned a lot in this season. Perhaps he learned not to commit to any experiments like that which took place in the first leg against Inter Milan when Thomas Müller was left out and Raphaël Guerreiro was played in his place in the No.10 position. I think this was Kompany’s biggest mistake of the season. In fairness, he hasn’t made many, but he made a big one in a very special situation. I think he will take this on board. Vincent Kompany is a very hard worker, and I think this is well established amongst the Bayern bosses.

Max Eberl has a big summer transfer window ahead

Don’t forget: Kompany was not Eberl’s first-choice to replace Tuchel… nor his second, third, or fourth. That’s why it would have been very dangerous for Max Eberl if the Belgian head coach had failed. Eberl’s position is currently under review with the bosses at Bayern Munich, as he’s so far failed to lower the squad costs. Jamal Musiala is on more expensive wages, as is Alphonso Davies, whilst Joshua Kimmich’s salary also hasn’t been reduced. Now, it’s on Eberl to prove that he can keep costs down with future signings.

There have been some positive initial steps in the right direction.  As we exclusively revealed on CF Bayern Insider, Leroy Sané’s wages have gone down from €15m (and €5m in bonuses) to €10m (and €5m). This was very important for Max Eberl. The compromise was that Leroy is just getting a three-year contract, so it’s up to him to showcase his full potential and earn a better extension in the future. The next season is effectively a probationary one. I think it’s a good decision because it means there’s an exciting trio of “ballers” between Musiala, Michael Olise and Sané moving forward. This could be the next idea. Historically, we’ve always talked about Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. Perhaps, Bayern can build on an exciting trio as opposed to a duo!

Eberl has to prove the good work doesn’t end with Leroy Sané. Every next signing has to follow suit – no more signings where the overall costs are going up. There are two things he needs to do:

• Buy good players. He’s shown this with Michael Olise; one of the best players this season in Germany.
• Show he can sell players. This shows how good a sporting director really is. Eberl couldn’t sell Leon Goretzka, he couldn’t sell Serge Gnabry… he couldn’t sell anyone to tell the truth. He did sell Mathijs de Ligt who had a really good final season at Bayern Munich (with Bayern almost winning the Champions League because of the Dutchman). Eberl has shown he can sell silverware but not the players Bayern actually need to get rid of. This has to change

Injury updates

Manuel Neuer and Dayot Upamecano are back training on the pitch.  However, both are unlikely to play a role in Bayern’s upcoming clash with Mainz today. Jona Urbig is back in training after his cold and will play.

Bayern’s defensive questions

Jonathan Tah is a target

No one knows what’s going to happen with Upamecano. It’s going to be interesting because of ongoing questions around Bayern’s backline, including the future of Kim Min-jae and interest in players like Kō Itakura. Again, we have to talk about Jonathan Tah. Barcelona still have problems with registering new players. Tah is going to be a free agent this summer, so the transfer itself wouldn’t necessarily be an issue, however, it’s not clear if he would actually be allowed to play for Hansi Flick’s side. He’s already informed Leverkusen that he won’t sign a new contract, so he’ll definitely be on the market at the end of the season.

Tah was one of Max Eberl’s main targets last summer. He wasn’t allowed to sign the centre-back because of a €5m disagreement with Bayern’s advisory board. The board was prepared to sanction a €20m transfer fee for Jonathan Tah, but Leverkusen were demanding €25m. Normally, €5m is nothing for Bayern Munich, so you see how strict the board is being with transfer decisions. If Eberl had sold a player beforehand, he would have been given the go-ahead for Tah. A player like Tah would be very important for Bayern Munich because they’re currently lacking a defensive leader. They are searching for one – they need one, as neither Upamecano nor Min-jae can be considered one.

Kim Min-jae’s future in question

Kim Min-jae is a very sensitive guy. It may not seem that way from an outsider’s perspective, but I can assure you that this is the case. He was incredibly down, as it was ultimately his fault that Bayern went out of the Champions League against Inter Milan. It wasn’t exclusively his fault, of course, but, for context, it’s worth bearing in mind that Min-jae was also to blame for Bayern’s failure to get past Real Madrid in the semi-finals last year. The South Korean turned off the comments on his socials, as he couldn’t bear to keep reading what the fans were writing about him. It shows his frame of mind at the moment.

Last summer, he couldn’t think of moving away from the club, even when, I heard, Manchester United knocked on the door. They were interested in signing Min-jae, so perhaps they’ll come knocking again this summer. I also heard from United that they are not so confident in the signings they’ve recently made from Bayern Munich! So, they’ll have to think about whether it’s the best strategy for them. Kim Min-jae does have a lot of quality, but I think he’s not been able to show this at Bayern, as he needs a defensive partner who’s vocal and gives him instructions.

I heard Bayern would be prepared to sell the 28-year-old if they get an offer of between €40m-50m. They want to change things in the defence. Min-jae, for what it’s worth, is at the point of considering a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia if a good offer came in the summer. So, you see, the situation is not easy for him. That said, he’s got a contract with Bayern, and I think he’d be prepared to do it next season. If there’s a big offer on the table, then every side would be open to talks. There’s nothing concrete at the moment with Juventus.

We’ve all seen that Bayern have run out of central defenders this season. The idea was to go into the next season with Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae in the first line and then keep Josip Stanišić and Hiroki Itō as the back-ups. Itakura, if Bayern go for him (they don’t have the money at the moment), it would be as another back-up solution. So, you see how hard it is to plan the squad!

Andrey Santos isn’t a top target

Andrey Santos is an interesting player, but Bayern have already signed Tom Bischoff, so he’s not a first-choice target. Also, Leon Goretzka is still with the club. We heard that the German international has told Bayern that he wants to stay next season (after which he’ll be a free agent, so it’s a difficult situation). Regardless, he’s shown this season that he is capable of performing to the level Bayern Munich expect. This is why he’s so strong in the belief that Bayern need him in 2025/26, so it will be hard for Eberl to sell him. If Goretzka is staying, there’ll be no money to sign Andrey Santos.

Fulham want to re-sign João Palhinha

We heard that West Ham have João Palhinha on their shortlist. However, Fulham are more concrete by comparison. Marco Silva remains a big fan of the player and could imagine bringing him back. He was once a key player for Fulham, so they’re aware of his quality and what he can do in the Premier League. They won’t pay the same price that Bayern did in 2024, of course! Perhaps for FC Bayern it would be okay to get a lower fee, maybe €35m (maybe €40m if they’re lucky), and the added benefit of taking him off the wage bill. If he’s leaving, they’ll have a little bit more space for midfield signings.

Thomas Müller exit clears room for Florian Wirtz

Thomas Müller is ending his career with Bayern Munich this summer. We know he won’t go to Fiorentina, Vissel Kobe or SC Internacional, all three of which have asked for him. He’s also ruled out FC Cincinnati. However, Los Angeles FC remains in the race and are the favourites. Still, Müller has yet to make his decision in terms of whether or not to end his playing career.

It shouldn’t be underestimated that the Müller position is, of course, the position for potential Bayern signing Florian Wirtz. That’s another reason as to why club decided not to renew his contract. Thomas Müller was still earning €17m-a-year – this is money they need to cover Wirtz’s salary, if they can still sign him this summer. Bayern Munich are still waiting for a decision. Leverkusen doesn’t yet know what Florian Wirtz is going to decide.

Xabi Alonso is the key in these talks. If he leaves Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz will leave the club for sure. The direction is open. It could be that Real Madrid will sign the attacking midfielder as well. We already heard that the player himself admires Manchester City (because of Pep Guardiola). However, as things currently stand, the most concrete talks are still with Bayern Munich. Max Eberl isn’t having these conversations with Leverkusen, as he still has a difficult relationship with the CEO, Fernando Carro, and the sporting director, Simon Rolfes.

Max Eberl’s relationship with Leverkusen

They’re still disappointed with Eberl because he promised to make the deal with Jonathan Tah last season. They were waiting for the go-ahead, but this never came because the board of Bayern Munich blocked this deal. But they took Max Eberl for his word that it would all work out, so they couldn’t then plan for a new player to come in. Now they’re set to lose Tah as a free agent, which is hard for a club like Leverkusen that are so reliant on player sales. This is why bridges have been burnt between Eberl and Bayer Leverkusen. This is why Uli Hoeneß is doing a lot on the deal with the Wirtz family. The next step is to make contact with Leverkusen. This hasn’t happened yet. Carro was at the Laureus World Sports Awards; there he complained again about Bayern’s behaviour around Florian Wirtz’s future in the media and their desire to sign him. It’s a difficult situation between the two clubs at the moment.

There remains no “Plan B” should Bayern not sign Florian Wirtz this summer. They are absolutely focused on him. Normally, because of the club’s current financial situation, they wouldn’t plan for a major signing this summer. But things are different because Florian Wirtz is on the market. Also, if he signs a new contract at Leverkusen (I don’t think that will happen) with a release clause for 2026, that would also be fine for Bayern Munich. The main thing for Bayern is to not lose Wirtz to another league. If he’s in another league, it will very hard to get him back at Bayern Munich.

Last summer, Max Eberl and Vincent Kompany had concrete talks with Xavi Simons of RB Leipzig. He will be on the market this summer, but Bayern Munich are not in a position where they want to make a bid for him. I think he’ll go to the Premier League. €70m is the price at the moment. But you see how much has changed for Bayern Munich’s decision-makers, as last season the club was prepared to try for Wirtz and Simons. Now, they are especially focused on “Plan A”: Florian Wirtz. Simons is no longer part of the plan.

What could decide Wirtz’s next move?

Leverkusen also wants a decision from Wirtz – it’s a very important one. Bayern have a feeling they’re a little ahead, as they’re in very good talks with Hans-Joachim (the father and agent). But, of course, it all comes down to what the player wants. I think it’s a really hard race between Bayern, Real Madrid and City. There’s also a strong connection to Jamal Musiala to consider; Wirtz and Musiala have a lot of fun playing together with the German national team. It’s because of this combination – playing with Musiala and Wirtz’s father believing a switch to Munich would be a good next step – that Bayern are still in the race. Otherwise, he’d prefer to go to Real Madrid or Manchester City because it seems a bigger move.

Bayern open to Serge Gnabry sale

Bayern saw that Serge Gnabry played very well in recent games after he returned to full fitness. Still, they would be prepared to talk if any offers came up in the summer.

Could Kenan Yildiz return to Bayern?

Reports linking Kenan Yildiz with a return to Munich are not true. Yildiz did not walk away peacefully from life at Säbener Straße. They won’t go for him again.

Christopher Nkunku’s future

Bayern Munich were informed that Christopher Nkunku has told Chelsea he wants to leave the club in the summer. In the winter, there were concrete talks with Bayern; Max Eberl even had a phone call with Nkunku. So, the player is still flirting with the club. That said, we don’t think Bayern will seriously pursue this option in the summer, as Chelsea were asking for €70m in the January window. I think this wouldn’t be possible at the moment. Of course, you don’t know what might happen if Tottenham sign Mathys Tel permanently in the summer. There are rumours that Spurs are trying to get him for a lower price. It’s a €60m price tag in the contract. Perhaps this would give Eberl some flexibility to go for the player he likes. Otherwise, it would be too difficult to sign him for Bayern Munich. Nkunku would be interested, still, in a move to Bayern, and in the meantime, he’s searching for interested clubs.

→ READ MORE: The Bayern Insider: Jamie Gittens or Luis Henrique? What next for Müller? Watch out Eberl!