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Being a youth player at Bayern Munich is definitely difficult. Such players spend their time with a certain age team or Bayern Munich II, not really getting a taste of life with the pros at the Record Champions. As reported by the Münchner Merkur, Alexander Lungwitz, from Bayern’s U-19 team, decided to join Greuther Fürth in the 2. Bundesliga. The 18 year-old left-back played an important role this year, playing 91% of all the season’s minutes. In that time he produced two goals and four assists in addition to his good defense. However important he may have been to the U-19 team, though, Fürth offered him something Bayern couldn’t: consistent playing time at a high level. From the U-19s to the 2. Bundesliga is for sure a step up, but Lungwitz feels he’s up for the challenge.
A more recognizable youth prospect name is Woo-Yeong Jeong. Playing for Bayern Munich II, he scored 13 goals and assisted six in 29 appearances. He also played all 180 minutes to help his team secure promotion to the 3. Liga. According to kicker, multiple Bundesliga teams are interested in luring Jeong away, including SC Freiburg and FC Nürnberg, and even RB Salzburg in Austria. If Bayern were to allow him to leave, however, they would insist that the deal includes a buy-back option, should Jeong develop really well, really quickly. Such a deal would protect Bayern’s investment to this point, as well as fairly compensate the team that developed him.
Should Bayern fail to sign another winger this summer (Manchester City’s Leroy Sané, anyone?), there could very well be opportunity in the first team for Jeong. The current roster consists of just three wingers: Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Alphonso Davies. It wouldn’t hurt to have some more depth in that position, especially if it shows the 19-year-old that Bayern is committed to him for the long term.
No matter what happens to our South Korean wunderkind, we only wish him the best. Bayern player or not, he has a bright future ahead of him.