Koen Casteels open to a potential future step to Bayern Munich, but it might not be easy

Bayern Munich’s goalkeeping situation over the past two seasons has been a bit of a carousel. Manuel Neuer’s long-term injury forced the club to dip into last winter’s transfer market to sign Yann Sommer, who left this past summer for Inter Milan. Prior to any of those things happening, backup keeper Alexander Nübel pushed for his loan move to AS Monaco for being unhappy at Bayern, citing favoritism from Bayern’s goalkeeping coaches as a moot point. He also refused the option of being recalled from his loan when Neuer sustained his serious leg injury and he is now at VfB Stuttgart.

Sven Ulreich had stood firm in Neuer’s absence for most of the beginning phases of this season and new signing Daniel Peretz has still only played in one match. The club is ready to offer Ulreich a new deal, but what does this mean long-term for the goalkeeping outlook at the club.

From the outside looking in, it is hard for any keeper to see the possibility of supplanting Neuer unless he is hurt, but that is not stopping VfL Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels from entertaining the idea of possibly moving to Bayern one day. The Belgian keeper’s contract with Wolfsburg expires this coming summer, at which point, as things stand now, he would become a free agent.

From Belgium’s camp for their pair of matches during the international break, Casteels was asked about the notion of one day moving to Bayern, for which he said he is leaving the door open to. “Of course such a club makes you think. If the interest is real and they were to come knocking, it would be a very nice step to take, but I’m not there yet,” he replied to Belgian outlet VTM NIEUWS (via @iMiaSanMia).

However, Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) says that a move for Casteels is not currently on the table for Bayern Munich in the upcoming transfer windows — even if it was a thought that the club had last summer:

Koen Casteels was an option for Bayern and was discussed last summer. But the Belgian goalkeeper is no longer an option, neither for January nor next summer.

At 31 years of age, Casteels is younger than both Neuer and Ulreich, but Bayern would certainly have to consider how many more seasons they feel Casteels would be playing at the top level if they were ever, in fact, seriously interested in signing him. His name might have crossed the list when they were forced to look for Neuer replacements promptly last winter after his leg injury, but there has been nothing concrete between now and then.