German giants Bayern Munich have been made to look elsewhere in their frantic search for a goalkeeper during the January transfer window after Bundesliga rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach have ruled out a winter departure of star shot-stopper Yann Sommer.
The 33-year-old Swiss international keeper continues to be one of the top goalkeepers in German football during his nine years in the Rhine region after his arrival from Swiss outfit FC Basel in the summer of 2014, but his future at Borussia Park looks increasingly likely to be at an end after the current 2022-23 campaign as his contract runs out at the end of the season.
Rather than losing a key asset for nothing, Bayern was hopeful to prize Sommer to Bavaria during the current transfer period in the wake of Manuel Neuer’s untimely injury while on holiday after Germany crashed out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup, suffering a leg break during a ski accident.
Borussia Mönchengladbach have officially informed Bayern that Yann Sommer will not be allowed to move to Munich this month [@rponline] pic.twitter.com/LAmxZljiVq
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) January 7, 2023
But according to German outlet Rheinische Post (relayed by the reliable iMiaSanMia), Gladbach has put their foot down and ended all speculation regarding any possibility of Sommer swapping the nation’s largest state and is now prepared to come to terms with him leaving on a free transfer should the club and the player’s representatives remain unable to agree on a contract extension.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has a slightly different report, however, detailing that Gladbach sporting director Ronald Virkus informed Bayern that while Sommer will not be allowed to leave the club currently, the door is not 100% closed on his possible departure, with certain conditions needing to be met before the club may settle.
News #Sommer: As reported yesterday the deal could fail! Now Virkus said at RP: No transfer in winter! BUT been told that Virkus told Bayern: They won’t release him AT THIS STAGE. The door is NOT closed 100 %! There are parameters to fulfill. @SkySportDE 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/bJBpA8pMcV
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 7, 2023
This leaves Bayern in a bit of a quandary and currently only able to call on the reliable 34-year-old Sven Ulreich and 19-year-old Johannes Schenk who was only recently promoted from Bayern Munich II. The Bavarians did try to call back on-loan keeper Alexander Nübel from his spell with Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco, but internal issues involving Nübel and club goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalović have seen the former Germany U21 international rule out an early return as long as Tapalović is on staff.
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