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KOMPANY'S CHOICE: BAYERN JOINS RACE FOR BELGIAN STAR NATHAN DE CAT

Bayern Munich are tracking Anderlecht's 17-year-old Belgian midfielder Nathan De Cat. The Bundesliga giants face competition from Dortmund and Leverkusen for the €25m-rated deep-lying playmaker.

Kompany's Choice: Bayern Joins Race For Belgian Star Nathan De Cat
Nathan De Cat is a World Class Talent

During the international breaks, there are excessive rumours about transfers. Bayern Munich, however, is keeping a close eye on a few of the youthful talents. Nathan De Cat, a gifted 17-year-old, has piqued the curiosity of the reigning Bundesliga champions.

Florian Plettenberg and Patrick Berger claim that Anderlecht is requesting around €25 million for one of the most talented players in club history. In order to recruit this highly anticipated midfield player, Bayern will have to contend with Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, two other Bundesliga titans.

The Belgian midfielder may eventually take Leon Goretzka's spot at the Allianz Arena when his contract ends next summer.

De Cat is a trigger-happy midfielder with excellent physicality, and he and Goretzka have many face-value parallels. The 17-year-old Belgian wonderkid has a body designed for elite football and is already almost 6'3". However, it would be evident from seeing him play that he resembles Joshua Kimmich more than Leon Goretzka.

Because of his exceptional playstyle, Nathan De Cat is a tactical fit for Vincent Kompany's Bayern.

Nathan De Cat's passing statistics might lead someone to conclude that he is a horrible person. They rank in the bottom 10% of midfielders in the top 14 competitions with just 37 passes attempted per game and a pitiful 72% completion rate.

His tape, however, demonstrates the logic behind these disappointing figures. In any midfield setup, De Cat often sits the deepest and tries a lot of long balls and line-breaking passes to swiftly advance the ball to the opposition's penalty area.

De Cat likes to sit deep in build-up situations, spraying long switches and through balls to set up wingers in high-risk scenarios. Unlike the McTominays or the Fellainis, he is not your classic long, physical box crasher.

This type of play has a price: while taking more chances can result in greater rewards, it also increases the likelihood of errant passes.

Nathan De Cat's game clearly demonstrates the potential in the area of creating opportunities. The young Belgian can develop into one of the most skilled players in the game under the guidance of Joshua Kimmich, one of the top deep-lying playmakers in the world.

De Cat's ability to read the game and make quick decisions is one of its most amazing features.

He can manoeuvre through more confined spaces and disrupt the opponent's pressing strategy thanks to his beautiful first touch and turn.

The Belgian U17 player is at ease making one-touch passes at any distance and enjoys them as well.

Vincent Kompany's quick build-up, which makes extensive use of touch-and-go and one-two punches between players, may be ideal for De Cat.

Nathan De Cat does not contribute particularly well when not in possession, even though he primarily plays as a defensive midfielder in a double pivot at Anderlecht.

When it comes to tackling and intercepting the football, he is subpar. Considering his enormous height, his aerial duels are very lacklustre.

His agility, which occasionally prevents him from tracking back and making turns on the defensive end, is also questioned by some evaluators. He obviously has some trouble keeping an eye on his long physique and making the most of it when playing defence.

Still an untapped skill...

Having said that, for a 17-year-old player, he possesses a remarkably diverse skill set. De Cat will undoubtedly get better in the years to come now that he has some elite experience in the Belgian league.

At this age, he has an exceptional football IQ and is already quite at ease in the modern game.

He is still extremely young, and a good coaching team can readily address his shortcomings.

Imagine the midfield with Pavlovic, Bischof, Musiala, and De Cat. Delicious!

BAYERN MUNICH FACE MAJOR DECISION ON LEON GORETZKA AS EUROPEAN GIANTS CIRCLE NOW

Leon Goretzka’s future at Bayern Munich is uncertain as Tottenham and Napoli show interest. Discover why Vincent Kompany wants him to stay.

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Vincent Kompany Blocks Goretzka Exit

The winter transfer window is just around the corner, and as usual, Bayern Munich's name is popping up in transfer rumours all over the place. But the top guys at the club keep saying they won't be bringing anyone in this January.

As for players leaving, there's talk about guys whose contracts are almost up. Leon Goretzka is one of them, and he's been linked to a bunch of clubs lately.

Apparently, Bayern hasn't offered Goretzka a new deal yet. They're looking at younger midfielders to possibly replace him in the summer. Tottenham, Napoli, Fenerbahce, and Atletico Madrid are all said to be interested in snagging Goretzka this winter.

Sky Sports Germany says that Vincent Kompany thinks highly of Goretzka. The coach wants him to stay and appreciates what he brings to the field.

On the other hand, The Athletic is saying that the rumours about Goretzka going to Tottenham are off base. Apparently, Tottenham isn't trying to get him. Goretzka is also said to be locked in on finishing out the season strong with Bayern.

Goretzka's still got a job to do at Bayern.

Aleksandar Pavlovic has kind of jumped ahead of Goretzka in the lineup. The young midfielder played great in the first half of the season.

Goretzka's been coming off the bench lately. Even though he's not a starter right now, Goretzka can still help the team in the second half of the season. His experience will be really important in those big Champions League games. Plus, he can play different positions if needed. He can fill in on defence or be an attacking midfielder. A guy like that could be really helpful for Bayern as they try to win it all.

Right now, it looks like Kompany is happy with his team. Other than Sacha Boey, Bayern isn't expected to let go of any senior players this winter. Since Bayern is competing in three different competitions, Kompany will need everyone to play their best.

CONFIRMED: FABRIZIO ROMANO VALIDATES BAYERN MUNICH INTEREST IN €50M-RATED BRAZILIAN FORWARD RAYAN.

Bayern Munich eyes Vasco’s Rayan for a €50m summer move. Read how the 19-year-old fits into the 2026 attack alongside Harry Kane.

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Bayern Munich opens negotiations for Vasco starlet Rayan

Bayern Munich had a decent summer with player transfers, though the timing could've been better. The club isn't planning on getting anyone new in January, but they're lining up deals for the summer.

Besides big-name signings, Bayern's also keeping an eye on young talent. They seem pretty interested in a top Brazilian prospect.

According to UOL in Brazil, Bayern is talking more with Vasco's forward, Rayan, and his people. The 19-year-old is up for joining Bayern, and Vasco is waiting for an offer. Word is, Vasco wants close to €50 million for himself.

Fabrizio Romano, the football transfer guy, also said Bayern is keen on Rayan. He knows there's been contact, but Rayan's just one of several players Bayern's looking at to beef up their attack.

Since Vasco might want a lot for Rayan, Bayern could be thinking about putting him straight into the first team. The kid can play on the right or behind the main striker. He's had a great season with Vasco, scoring 20 goals in all competitions.

Rayan's stats make him sound like a scoring machine, but he might need a bit to get used to the Bundesliga. Since Bayern has enough players in attack, Rayan could get time to adjust.

Bayern will need to get a forward next summer.

They let go of three experienced forwards over the summer and signed Luis Diaz for keeps, and Nicolas Jackson is on loan from Chelsea. Lennart Karl has really stepped up and is now a regular in the squad this season.

Max Eberl recently hinted that they probably won't buy Jackson permanently next summer. So, Bayern will need someone who can fill in for Harry Kane and play on the wings if needed.

Someone like Rayan might not be ready to back up Kane just yet. If Bayern gets the Brazilian forward, they'd still need another number nine to add some depth to the attack. Bayern might not spend a ton on forwards this summer, but there will definitely be some fresh faces in that part of the team.

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