Schalke 04 goalkeeper Alexander Nübel has drawn raves for his performances with the Germany U-21 team. Those accolades have piqued the interest of Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and AS Roma among others.
Last month, Bayern Munich was heavily linked to the 22-year-old goalkeeper, but Die Königsblauen put a stop to the thought of any transfer happening this summer. Per a report from Sport Bild, however, Schalke knows it could be fighting a losing battle to retain its prized prospect. Specifically, Sport Bild reported that “Even Schalke’s bosses say behind the scenes: to compete with Bayern is difficult.”
Schalke, which put a transfer ban on Nübel this summer, is trying its best to convince the player to stay, even offering him a new contract with exit clause for 2021. Bayern Munich, however, is not the only Bundesliga power looking to bring in Nübel. Apparently, Nübel is in “high demand” for RB Leipzig.
New sports director Markus Krösche (38) knows him from common times in Paderborn. Nübel fits perfectly into the Leipzig profile: young, lots of potential and free of charge next summer. What’s added: First-choice goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi (29) is toying with a bigger club next summer. His dream goal is the Premier League.
If Gulacsi really is eager to make a move to the Premier League, the timing to make a move on Nübel would work out perfectly next summer for Die Roten Bullen. Curiously, the rumors surrounding Bayern’s interest have gone dormant after Schalke declared it was not selling Nübel during this transfer window.
With Manuel Neuer (33), Sven Ulreich (30), Ron-Thorben Hoffmann (20), and Christian Früchtl (19) already on Säbener Strasse, it is hard to see where Nübel could immediately step in unless Bayern is looking to overhaul its current goalkeeper hierarchy.
As a player who is slated to be the No.1 starter for Schalke this season, accepting a back-up role at Bayern Munich next year still seems a little far-fetched. As a contingency measure, Schalke has already signed Germany U-21 goalkeeper Markus Schubert in the event it cannot find a way to convince Nübel to stay.