At a press conference last week, Xabi Alonso put a skewer in the summer plans of both Bayern Munich and Liverpool. They had been leading the chase to hire the Spaniard, who has now confirmed his intention to stay at Bayer Leverkusen beyond the end of the season. This puts Bayern Munich in a particularly difficult position.
Liverpool will hire a new manager this summer from a position of strength. Jurgen Klopp’s team is sitting at the top of the Premier League table and has recently rebuilt a large portion of their squad. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is facing the start of a rebuild having been toppled as German soccer’s dominant force by Leverkusen this season.
The Bavarians must find the right person to lead that rebuild. Max Eberl has already arrived as the new sporting director at the Allianz Arena and will be tasked with formulating a new strategy in the transfer window this summer, but Bayern Munich needs a manager who can impose a new approach and identity on the pitch.
Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with the job. The Brighton manager is also believed to be on Liverpool’s shortlist, but Bayern Munich’s interest in the Italian is reportedly strongest. De Zerbi has publicly questioned his own future at the Amex Stadium and so it’s entirely possible he will be on the move this summer.
De Zerbi has caught the eye for his tactical approach since arriving at Brighton two years ago. His teams play a modern, attack-minded style of play that would, in principle, be a good fit for Bayern Munich. However, the Italian would also likely change the shape and demand more from his squad with regards to their counter-pressing and general intensity.
Bayern Munich hasn’t been all that open to change in recent times. The Bavarian club hired Julian Nagelsmann to move them into the modern age in a tactical sense only for the former RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim coach to be fired last season. Apparently, senior figures on the Bayern board didn’t like how Nagelsmann was moving the club away from its traditional values.
By and large, Bayern Munich has played the same way for the last decade-and-a-half. They like to use wingers – see Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben – and line up in a 4-3-3 shape that requires a focal point in attack – see Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane. Traditionally, Bayern is a quick transition team.
This style has allowed Bayern Munich to remain competitive at the top level of German and European soccer for a long time, but the zeitgeist is changing and there is a begrudging acceptance at the club that the next manager must be someone who can implement a more possession-orientated approach. This is why Alonso was made Bayern’s first pick.
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Nagelsmann could return to the Allianz Arena this summer. The 36-year-old, who is currently serving as Germany national team manager, will be available after Euro 2024 and recent reports claim Bayern Munich’s decision-makers are open to Nagelsmann being re-hired.
The return of Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich would be a public admission by the club of the mistakes they have made over the last 12 months. The appointment of Thomas Tuchel did nothing to mask the deeper issues at the Allianz Arena which Bayern Munich must start addressing this summer. For starters, this summer must see a new right back and number six signed.
Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible rise has forced Bayern Munich to look inward. Alonso might have been the perfect fit for the job at the Allianz Arena, but his appointment would have been a lazy one in a sense. So often in the past, Bayern Munich have seen off rivals in the Bundesliga by simply poaching their best players.
Alonso’s decision to stay at Leverkusen means Bayern Munich won’t be able to do that this summer, which will force the Bavarians to address some of the fundamental issues that have hindered them over the last two seasons. Whether it’s De Zerbi, Nagelsmann or someone else who takes over this summer, Bayern face a long process to get back to the top.
