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Leave it to Lothar Matthäus to call out something obvious when then it comes to things that would probably help Bayern Munich.
The sometimes controversial legend of the game-turned-pundit often has takes that induce an eye roll from Bayern Munich fans, but the 62-year-old has an opinion that might make a lot of sense to some folks.
Matthäus wants Thomas Tuchel to play Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala together.
“There are some players who always have to be on the pitch and start: Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sané, Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich. These are players who are irreplaceable for me. Jamal Musiala is 100% part of that. In my opinion, it doesn’t have to be Musiala or Müller - you can easily integrate both of them into the starting lineup,” Matthäus told Sport Bild (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Funny enough, Sport Bild (as captured by Get German Football News) also put out a reporting indicating that Musiala is no thappy with having to sit out recent games:
According to Sport Bild, Liverpool have joined the handful of clubs that are interested in Jamal Musiala as talks over a contract extension have been postponed. Musiala’s contract does not expire until 2026 but in recent weeks, Musiala has been forced to sit on the bench despite playing well in the games prior such as being benched in Bayern’s 3-0 win against Freiburg after being key in the turnaround in the Champions League earlier in the week. This is partially due to Thomas Tuchel’s acknowledgement of how important Thomas Müller still is to the squad so the two are rotated.
Talks over a contract extension had previously been suspended with former sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić. Musiala currently earns €8m a year and a new contract at Bayern would make him one of the top earners at the club.
BFW Analysis
Given how both Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel have handled that situation, it is fair to ask if there is a reason why the two players have not played together more?
Musiala is equally adept at playing wing as he is as an attacking midfielder (some might argue he is better as a wing), but neither Nagelsmann, nor Tuchel consistently often used the combination.
Why, though?
It is fair to ask if Musiala is dictating that kind of squad selection process. A precocious talent, Musiala is under contract through 2026, but his future in Germany could be considered tenuous. Every major club in the world will at least kick the tires on a pursuit of Musiala in the summer of 2025 and Bayern Munich knows it.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea FC, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Arsenal FC, and Liverpool FC are just a few of the clubs, who could make offers to Musiala that would be incredibly difficult for any player to refuse.
What does that mean?
Well, Bayern Munich will do anything to keep its prized youngster happy — and if he wants to play the No. 10 position then the club will do whatever it takes to keep him content.
That is just a theory, but watching how Tuchel handles the Müller-Musiala tandem moving forward will be be interesting. The most recent story (as captured by Get German Football News) seems to validate the BFW Tinfoil Hat Theory referenced above just a little bit. To date, Tuchel seems to have taken an “either or” philosophy to the duo.
Will that continue?
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