ALPHONSO DAVIES RETURNS: BAYERN'S STRENGTH BOOST SIGNALS SACHA BOEY'S JANUARY EXIT
Sacha Boey's time at Bayern is ending as the return of Davies and others leaves him surplus. The club is reportedly looking to offload the full-back to Crystal Palace.
Bayern Munich got some good news this week: Alphonso Davies is back! He played against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, his first game since March, when he got hurt playing for his country.
After the winter break, Jamal Musiala will be back too, giving the team another choice up front. Hiroki Ito is also back after being out for a while.
The Bayern bosses think having these guys back to full strength will make the team stronger for the rest of the season. They're not planning on buying anyone new in January, but one or two players might leave.
Sacha Boey is the most likely to go. He's not the first choice at full-back, with several players ahead of him. Fabrizio Romano says Crystal Palace are interested in signing him.
Boey played a bit in September and October. But when Josip Stanisic got back from injury, Boey was back on the bench. With Ito and Davies back, Konrad Laimer will probably play mainly at right-back. Raphael Guerreiro has also played there, so Boey might not get much playing time in the second half of the season.
Bayern will probably lose money on Boey
They paid a lot for him in January 2024 to get some cover at right-back. But he had some injury problems in his first six months.
People thought Boey would be important under Vincent Kompany since he wanted to sign him at Burnley. But injuries and not playing well kept Boey out of the team last season.
Now seems like a good time for Boey to leave Bayern and find a club where he can play every week and get his career going again. Bayern won't get the €30 million they paid for him two years ago. They have a good relationship with Crystal Palace after the Michael Olise deal, so that might help them sell Boey to the Premier League team.
Olympique Marseille wanted to sign Boey in the summer, and they might try again in January. We'll see if Bayern tries to replace Boey, since they're mainly looking at long-term signings in the summer.
MATTHAUS WARNS KOMPANY: DO NOT CHANGE ATTACKING STYLE DESPITE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EXIT
Bayern have secured the Bundesliga! Read why Matthaus wants more "spectacular football" despite the 6-5 aggregate loss to PSG.
Lothar Matthaus has called on Vincent Kompany to continue with his attacking style, despite Bayern Munich's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The German legend feels Bayern’s entertaining approach shouldn’t be altered even though their defence showed vulnerabilities during the 6-5 aggregate loss in the semi-finals.
After conceding six goals over two legs, Bayern’s Champions League run came to an end. While the defeat exposed defensive issues, it also highlighted the offensive strategy Kompany has brought to the team. These defensive struggles aren’t limited to Europe either; high-scoring Bundesliga matches, like the 4-3 win over Mainz and the 3-3 draw with Heidenheim, have revealed a back line that’s still trying to find the right balance between taking risks and maintaining solidity.
Matthaus, who once captained Bayern, stresses that the club should stick with Kompany’s attacking mindset, even if it leaves them open at the back. He pointed out, “With such an attacking style of play, you can't defend everything, of course. Yes, they've conceded quite a few goals, but they’re still having a successful season and are close to winning the double. They’ve even made it to the Champions League semi-finals.”
The return of excitement at the Allianz Arena was clear, especially during the second leg when Ousmane Dembele’s early goal stunned the crowd. Although Harry Kane’s late equaliser wasn’t enough to turn the tie around, Matthaus sees positives in the bigger picture. He believes Bayern has brought back the thrill and flair fans expect.
“While Bayern didn’t play their best in the semi-final second leg against PSG, they have entertained throughout the year. I look forward to their matches because they’re usually packed with goals. Bayern stands for spectacular football, and this season has been no different. I wouldn’t move away from that style,” Matthaus shared.
With the focus shifting back to domestic competitions, Bayern have already secured the Bundesliga championship. They still have two league games left against Wolfsburg and Koln before preparing for the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart on May 23.
BAYERN MUNICH RULE OUT MARCUS RASHFORD MOVE REGARDLESS OF ANTHONY GORDON OUTCOME
Marcus Rashford is not a target for Bayern Munich this summer, as the club focuses entirely on signing Gordon from Newcastle.
Bayern Munich aren’t considering a move for Marcus Rashford this summer, no matter what happens with Anthony Gordon. That’s according to a German reporter who’s close to the story.
Right now, Rashford is wrapping up his loan at Barcelona. He’s set to return to Manchester United at the end of the season. Barcelona have an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million (£26 million) in the summer. Both Rashford and Barcelona want him to stay, but here’s the catch: the club doesn’t want to pay the full €30 million.
Barcelona would rather keep Rashford on loan for another year or get him for a lower fee. Manchester United’s not having it. They want the full price, so Barcelona are starting to look at other players.
Rashford hasn’t made a secret of where he wants to be. Earlier in the season, he told Sport, one of the local Barcelona papers, about how much he wants to stay, saying, “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s the ultimate goal.” He talked about the pressure and expectations at the club, saying they keep him motivated and that he feels like he’s in the perfect environment to grow and win trophies. For now, though, it’s all up in the air until next summer.
Last year, Bayern Munich actually showed some interest in Rashford before he went to Barcelona. But now, they’re focused on signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for the left wing. The problem is, Gordon’s interested, but Newcastle’s price is ridiculous, reportedly around £80 million (€92.6 million). That’s much higher than what Bayern’s willing to pay. They’re thinking closer to £60 million (€69.4 million), and maybe with add-ons or an instalment plan. If Newcastle won’t budge, it probably isn’t happening.
Christian Falk, a trusted journalist from Bild, says Bayern aren’t considering Rashford as a backup if they can’t land Gordon. Bayern’s got a short list of players for the left wing, and Rashford isn’t on it. Gordon’s their main focus, but even if that deal falls through, Rashford’s not the next in line.
So at this stage, Bayern and Rashford won’t be coming together this summer, even if Gordon stays at Newcastle. That’s just not in the plans.