Update: Potential discord between Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich over Jérôme Boateng issue

Update — October 6, 2023, 7:35PM EDT: Plettenberg says Bayern has already decided to pass on Boateng

Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg has been all over Bayern Munich’s potential pursuit of Jérôme Boateng and is reiterating that the Bavarians have already decided to pass on the center-back — despite what coach Thomas Tuchel said at his press conference earlier today:

One of the initial oddities to this story was a report which stated that Bayern Munich might be inclined to ink Boateng in an effort to appease Tuchel. The coach has expressed his frustration — publicly and privately — with the club’s thin roster per some reports and has been considered a big advocate for the Boateng signing.

Now, Tuchel could be irritated once more about the club’s lack of action. For what it is worth, the prospect of signing Boateng has also angered some segments of the Bayern Munich fanbase and the team could have been facing backlash for the move.

—C.Smith

Update — October 6, 2023, 7:25PM EDT: Thomas Tuchel denies the reports

In his press conference ahead of Sunday's game against SC Freiburg, Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel pushed back against rumors that the club will not sign Jérôme Boateng. This is despite both Bild and Sky confirming the report. What is going on?

Is there still a chance that this signing could go through?

Tuchel continued by saying the following:

“We will decide together. (The decision) doesn’t just have a sporting component, so it’s important that we decide together. I’ve just come from training. That’s why we’re taking our time and will not be influenced by reports that a decision had supposedly already been made. He is a player with a big merit for this club, he also needed team training to take the next step in his fitness. We have an absolute emergency situation in central defense.”

(via @iMiaSanMia)

Looks like we have some good news — according to Bild, Bayern Munich will not sign Jérôme Boateng as a free agent this season. The player was linked with a shock return to his former club after injuries to Matthijs de Ligt and other members of the backline, with Thomas Tuchel allegedly pushing hard for his inclusion. In the end, according to reports, Boateng’s ongoing court case ended up being the deciding factor.

This news will come as a relief to large sections of the club’s fanbase, including the ultras who had already planned a protest for the upcoming home game versus Freiburg were Boateng to be signed. Here’s how Bild explains the decision:

This decision will be a major blow to Boateng himself, who has been without a club since last summer after being let go by Lyon. He was training with Bayern for the past few days in a bid to convince the club to sign him, and allegedly even turned down an offer from Everton to facilitate the move. Now that it’s apparently dead in the water, Boateng will have to seek employment elsewhere.

This decision is a relief in honestly more ways than one. If you want to know why Boateng would have been an absolute disaster signing for Bayern Munich, look no further than our podcast. Listen to us discuss it below or on Spotify.

As always, we appreciate all the support!