At the start of the 2014-15 season, who would've thought that the young player at Bayern Munich that everyone would be talking about would be Gianluca Gaudino? The young midfielder wasn't even on a professional contract with FC Bayern when he earned his Bundesliga debut.
His Season Performance
Gaudino made eight appearances for the first team this past season while shuttling back and forth with the U19s. He played well above his experience level for most of the season and managed to step right in and contribute immediately at the beginning of the season when the club was facing an injury crisis in the midfield. How well did Gaudino play? He played well enough that, before signing his professional contract with FC Bayern, he reportedly turned down a big money contract with Inter Milan.
Gaudino appeared scantly throughout the season for Pep Guardiola, and those appearances dried up nearly completely once everyone returned to full fitness. Then, as the injury bug came back to bite FC Bayern, Gaudino found his way onto the field late.
Next Season Prospects
If Bayern's midfielders can stay healthy in the 2015-16 season, one would expect that Gaudino's playing time would decrease. His time on the field will also depend on whether or not the club decides to send Pierre Højbjerg out on loan once again. It's likely that Gaudino will find himself shuttling between Bayern II and the first team training in the upcoming season. It's not completely out of the realm of possibility that he finds himself in loan discussions come wintertime.