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As rumors continue to swirl around the person of Bayern Munich’s erstwhile chief central defender Jerome Boateng, the club’s front office has already allegedly decided who will replace him: it is none other than Niklas Süle. According to a new article by Bild, the Bayern bosses have already made up their minds. If Jerome Boateng leaves the club in the current transfer window, Süle will simply replace Boateng next season; if Boateng stays, then later.
Bild claims that the front office was completely convinced by Süle’s performances last season. Süle in fact played more game minutes than Boateng: 2,957 for Süle, versus 2,621 for Boateng. Mats Hummels, meanwhile, logged an impressive 3,461, but oddly enough Süle participated in the most games among the three of them, with 42 (Hummels: 41; Boateng: 31). [Source: transfermarkt.de]
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Süle not only replaced Boateng repeatedly throughout the season when the latter was injured, but he also played when Hummels suffered a minor injury, was sick, or simply needed rest. Although most of Süle’s performances came in less high-leverage games, he saw his fair share of serious action at the end of the season, including the entire second leg against Real Madrid and the DFB-Pokal Final versus Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern thus seem to have spun gold out of straw yet again: Süle transferred from Hoffenheim last season for €20 million, even rejecting an offer by Chelsea because he felt that Bayern had a plan for him. The next phase of that plan will soon be here.