Jerome Boateng sees a bit of himself in Bayern Munich’s Tanguy Nianzou

Jerome Boateng ended his tenure at Bayern Munich with a very solid season. In looking at what the club might be planning in the long-run to replace him, Boateng said he sees Tanguy Nianzou as an intriguing prospect.

“I see a lot of parallels, for example with Tanguy Nianzou. He’s also quick and a strong tackler, he can read the game. He’s even stronger in the air than I was at his age,” said Boateng in an interview with FCBayern.com. “The lad has huge potential to become a top defender. But you can also see that he still makes careless mistakes, just like I used to.”

Photo by M. Donato/FC Bayern via Getty Images

Boateng said he sees the job of the center-back as more diverse and expansive than it used to be — which is why is takes a special player to be successful in the position.

“The job is more diverse today than it used to be,” said Boateng. “Of course, defensive duties is always the most important thing for a center-back, but the demands have increased. You also have to take responsibility in build-up play, communicate a lot, coach the team from the back.”