Speaking to the press ahead of Bayern Munich’s DFB Pokal game against SV Rodinghausen, coach Niko Kovac confirmed that Canadian youngster Alphonso Davies would join the Bavarians as soon as the November international break is over:
He will be with us immediately, we have him committed. He will play two international matches and then he joins the team.
This is absolutely huge, as it means Davies will get a taste of first team training almost two months before he can be eligible to make his debut. This is a great opportunity for the youngster to grasp the chance he has been given with both hands, and impress his teammates and his coaches.
Currently coming off a stellar season with the Vancouver Whitecaps, it’s important that Davies keeps his momentum going. He’s going to need it. At Bayern, the Canadian will have to compete with the likes of Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry for minutes, which is no easy task for anyone, much less an 18 year old who has never played in Europe before.
If you think it’s strange that he would be allowed to train with the team before he can play with us, there is a precedent. Back in 2015, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal signed for Barcelona while they were in the middle of a transfer ban. The two players weren’t eligible to play for the club until January (when the winter transfer window opened) but they spent the first half of the season training with Barcelona’s first team.
As a Bayern Munich fan, I can’t wait to see Davies in red. I’m glad he’s taking this opportunity seriously and choosing to cut his break short. Hopefully, it makes a difference in getting him settled in Munich, and prevents another Renato Sanches situation.