The case against Konrad Laimer: Bayern Munich should hold firm in negotiations and not give in
· Yahoo Sports
Konrad Laimer is the next man up for a Bayern Munich contract extension, but after the success — and the drama — of Dayot Upamecano’s decision, Laimer’s deal is proving difficult.
The Bayern front office has been accused, unfairly perhaps, of giving in on too many key points in recent negotiations. Upamecano and Jamal Musiala both rumored to have release clauses, and both players are earning top dollar. Bayern probably could not have avoided either outcome and still kept those players, and that was the right call. Now, though, would be a good time for Bayern to hold the line. And it comes down to leverage.
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Laimer is key…right now. The reality is that teams change season after season, sometimes within seasons, and they must. Bayern’s right-back recruitment has not been good lately and that has to change.
Change, it should. Rumors abound that the Bavarians are zeroing in on Feyenoord dynamo Givairo Read for the summer transfer window. If Read is good, he should start claiming minutes in his first season. If he’s not, Bayern should target another right-back within the next two summers. In the meantime it would be important to keep Laimer, but at what cost is the question.
The differences between the Upamecano situation are stark. For one, Upamecano is elite while Laimer is…unique. Integral to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern tactics this season, yes, but midfield pressing machine-turned right-back is not exactly orthodox. You can imagine different types of pieces fitting into the puzzle as tactics evolve. There are even internal candidates at the position whose long-term coexistence with Laimer on the same roster might be a challenge — Josip Stanišić, for one if he doesn’t cement himself at center-back instead. That gives the club leverage. And where will Tom Bischof and Noël Aséko Nkili play? Kompany’s deployment of full-backs who can invert and involve themselves high up the pitch is an invitation for many an energetic or technically gifted midfielder, each who could offer a different wrinkle.
Age is not a small component of this, either. Upamecano will turn 28 next October; these years of his contract will be his prime. Laimer will turn 29 this spring. He’s already under contract through June of 2027; by its expiry, he will be 30. The extra years Bayern will get will versus letting it simply run out will not likely be his prime, and the Bavarians would be paying substantially more for those years of his services than they have been these last few seasons.
None of this is a knock on the player; Laimer remains one of my favorites. And has he earned a reward? Absolutely. How much of one? It depends on what the market says, right? Bayern salaries are notoriously high and they often have to be, because there are going to be clubs out there throwing ghastly sums of money by the barrel at glitzy big-name stars. In Laimer’s case, a team-friendly Bayern deal might also be similar to the best money an English club would give him.
The situation has parallels to that of Leroy Sané — at the right price, Bayern should extend and an offer will definitely be forthcoming. If Laimer can get a better deal elsewhere, then it will be his right to take it. Sané left, but it was a close call up to the end. Bayern can probably leave the situation unresolved into the next season without panicking, and see where the chips fall.
Either way, the search for securing the future of the right-back position in Munich continues.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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