Per a Bild report, Bayern Munich has its eyes on 20-year-old Adrian Semper, a six-foot, four-inch goalkeeper from Croatia. Semper is viewed as a potential competitor to Christian Früchtl, who currently holds the title as Die Roten’s goalkeeper of the future.
Semper is currently on loan from GNK Dinamo Zagreb to NK Lokomotiva, but his contract expires on June 30, 2018 (Transfermarkt). Bayern’s interest is serious enough that goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic has personally scouted the youngster.
A battle between Semper and Früchtl may seem unnecessary, as Bayern currently have Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, and—the man who Die Roten will never let retire—Tom Starke ahead of Früchtl on the depth chart. More so, Früchtl’s place in the Bayern pecking order has long been thought secure on account of his talent and work ethic, as Neuer himself noted in an interview with Bundesliga.com in November 2017:
With Tom Starke and Sven Ulreich, we have a very strong goalkeeping team where [Früchtl] can watch and learn things. Christian trains well, is very hungry, observant and listens well when someone is explaining something to him.
Regardless, an interesting tidbit about Semper is that despite his current status on the Croatian U-21 team, he could conceivably pursue a German passport and eventually opt to play for Germany, since his great-grandfather hailed from Heilbronn. That little anecdote could conceivably keep the “Germany first” initiative going for Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß.
Weinkauf departs for Hannover
In other Bayern goalkeeper-related news, Leo Weinkauf will move on from Die Roten to Hannover 96 on a free transfer (Kicker). Weinkauf joined Bayern from Bremen’s youth academy in 2015 and has played in 39 games for Bayern II. He was on the first team’s squad four times, but did not play.