Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich are in the hunt for a new goalkeeper in this transfer window, with No 1 Manuel Neuer out for the season after breaking his leg. The hunt for Neuer’s replacement is hotting up, with some big names being linked with a move to Bayern.
Elsewhere, the speculation surrounding Marcus Thuram’s future is also ongoing, with several big clubs circling the Borussia Monchengladbach striker, while Borussia Dortmund may have found their replacement for Jude Bellingham should he depart in the near future.
So read on below to catch all the latest transfer news and updates from the Bundesliga.
Bayern’s keeper search still ongoing
Bayern Munich are still yet to sign a new goalkeeper to replace the injured Manuel Neuer. The club has reportedly set an internal deadline of January 6 – the date when they are set to leave for Doha to hold their training camp – to find said replacement, and that deadline is now just a few days away.
Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer is reportedly a top candidate, not only because he is a terrific goalkeeper – he set a new Bundesliga record with 19 saves against Bayern earlier this season – but also because his contract is set to expire and would not be all that expensive to sign.
Sommer has also reportedly requested to join Bayern, with Australian keeper Mathew Ryan of FC Copenhagen possibly coming in to replace Sommer at Gladbach.
But Bayern have also reportedly opened talks with Sevilla for Yassine Bounou. Bayern face competition from Manchester United for the Moroccan, whose reputation has risen significantly after he starred for his country at the World Cup.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp and Alexander Nubel, who is on loan to Monaco from Bayern, have also been touted as potential options for the German giants.
But whether Bayern sign Bounou or Sommer, or even if they decide to stick with veteran Sven Ulreich, the Bundesliga 2023 odds will still have them as significant favourites to win their 11th straight title.
Big clubs circling Marcus Thuram
Aside from Yann Sommer, Marcus Thuram is another big-name Borussia Monchengladbach player who is being linked with a move to Bayern this winter.
Bayern are just one of the heavyweight European giants reportedly keeping tabs on Thuram, with Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Manchester United also on the list. Like Sommer, Thuram is out of contract in the summer and could leave on a free transfer.
After a down season in 2021-22 in part due to injuries, the 25-year-old Thuram back to producing Bundesliga 2023 highlights this season. He is tied for second in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 10 goals – already tied for the most goals he’s scored in a season – and he also has three assists.
Thuram is not the most prolific of strikers, but he possesses the pace and versatility that would make him quite a useful squad player in any of those big clubs.
While losing their top scorer will be a huge blow to their season, Gladbach would be wise to sell Thuram now as he will likely just walk away on a free transfer in the summer.
BVB eye Alexis Mac Allister as possible Bellingham replacement
Jude Bellingham’s future has been a popular topic in recent months, with the young Englishman being linked with a big-money move to the Premier League, and recently, to Real Madrid.
If – or perhaps, when – Bellingham leaves Dortmund (most likely in the summer), BVB could bring in Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister to replace him.
Mac Allister has starred for the Seagulls in the Premier League this season; he is tied for second on the team with five goals scored. He also emerged as an unlikely key contributor to Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign, which significantly raised his profile around Europe.
While not quite the all-round midfielder that Bellingham has become, Mac Allister does contribute on both ends of the pitch and appears to be developing a more keen eye for goal.
But BVB face stiff competition for the promising 24-year-old, who has also been linked with some of the biggest sides in Europe such as Premier League leaders Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid.
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