New challenger for Jonas Urbig? Bayern Munich reportedly have former international on their radar
Bayern Munich want to strengthen themselves in goal for the future. Will a former Germany international bolster the Munich side?
Bayern are looking for a new number two behind first-choice goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, with both current number one Manuel Neuer (40) and backup keeper Sven Ulreich (38) potentially set to end their careers in the summer.
Both contracts run out after the current season. Neuer, in particular, has repeatedly hinted in recent weeks and months that this could be his final campaign as a professional.
"I don't play the games in order to say: This is my last game - regardless of whether I may have been in one stadium or another for the last time. But it looks very much as though I will stop," he said on the sidelines of the summer training camp at Tegernsee in August.
Now, according to information from Bild, Bernd Leno has moved into the thinking of Bayern's decision-makers. The goalkeeper is currently under contract with Premier League side FC Fulham and has been a reliable first-choice there for years. He could now replace the two veterans.
Which club has Bernd Leno already played for in the Bundesliga?
Leno knows the Bundesliga well from his spell at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, where he made 304 appearances between 2012 and 2018. He has also won nine caps for Germany and, under Jürgen Klopp, some experts even believe he has a chance of returning to the DFB team. He last wore the Germany shirt in 2021.
For Bayern, it would help that the 34-year-old only has a contract at Fulham until 30 June 2027 and could be available on a free transfer next summer. The London club reportedly hold an option to extend, but even then a deal should not prove too expensive.
As for Leno, he could apparently imagine a return to Germany and the Bundesliga, even if he would presumably have to accept number two status behind Urbig.
Which goalkeeper is also being linked with Bayern Munich?
Recently, Bild also revealed in its podcast "Bayern Insider" that Augsburg's Finn Dahmen (28) is also on the record champions' list. Like Leno, the FC Augsburg goalkeeper fits the profile Munich's bosses want for the role of Urbig's future backup.
Even his coach Manuel Baum opened the door slightly to a move to Bayern. "If someone is among the best in the Bundesliga, then he is certainly a topic for the best teams in the Bundesliga. In Augsburg, it is already part of the philosophy that players who perhaps perform above average are at times allowed to leave," Baum told Bild.
