Oliver Kahn discusses Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper options in the summer

While speaking to Sport Bild, which was captured by @iMiaSanMia, Oliver Kahn discussed Bayern Munich’s current dicey goalkeeping position. Kahn, who himself became an iconic goalkeeper at Bayern and is the current CEO of the club, is perhaps best suited to talk about this rather delicate topic. By now, everyone will have heard of Manuel Neuer’s horrible ski accident and Bayern’s desperate attempts to replace him, resulting in the signing of Yann Sommer from Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Kahn points out that this signing has steadied the ship quite well. “We’re very well equipped in the position despite Neuer’s injury. With the international experience of Yann Sommer, we found the optimal solution in the short term and can reach our big goals in all competitions.”

And, of course, helping Neuer recover will be a big priority to the club. “Manuel Neuer is a world class goalkeeper. We’ll give him time and calm until he comes back. When he’s in top form, he’s still one of the best in the world.”

However, once the current season is over, the temporarily steadied ship will start rocking again. Neuer is set to be back by the summer, while loanee Alexander Nübel will also rejoin the club from AS Monaco in the summer, as his loan is ending. Add to that the fact that backup goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is still under contract until 2024 and things get tricky. The club will likely have to commit to one goalkeeper of the three.

For the time being, though, Kahn remains non-committal, deciding not to explicitly back Neuer to retain his role as starting goalkeeper. “It’s legitimate that [Nübel] wants to come back under conditions of game time. That’s exactly what I told him: You’ll only get better if you play. We’ll see after his loan ends. We’ll observe Yann Sommer’s performances and wait for Neuer’s recovery process.”

But, of course, perhaps a wild card could be the future Bayern starting goalkeeper. There have been plenty of rumors that Bayern are looking to sign Borussia Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Though Kahn finds them rather ridiculous. “I have no idea where these rumours are coming from. I’ve never spoken about Gregor Kobel or his performances.”

Bayern’s goalkeeping position will be one to keep an eye on in the summer, that is for sure.