BFW Postseason Breakdown: Bayern Munich’s Most Wanted Player Sale

It’s that time again!

Bayern Munich’s season is over and now we are left to debate what went right, what went wrong, and how everyone ended up in this place.

The BFW Postseason Breakdown will cover many of the controversial topics and talking points that emerged via the categories we will present for you to vote on.

Let’s not waste any more time and you can get down to it…

BFW Postseason Breakdown: Bayern Munich’s Most Wanted Player Sale

We covered our ideas in RLD’s piece here, but now we want your input. To refresh, this is what we came up with:

Chuck: Sadio Mané, the prized summer transfer from 2022, has floundered in Germany, while toiling away among the farmers. The team’s highest-paid player has not delivered the type of performances that many were expecting. In addition to his scuffling on the field, Mané got into a locker room altercation with Julian Nagelsmann and later slapped Leroy Sané in yet another clubhouse confrontation. Sometimes things just don’t work for one reason or another. This is one of those times. Selection: Sadio Mané.

Fergus: Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka are at the top of my list. No doubt great personalities and people, their skills on the pitch have plummeted from their Hansi Flick heydays. Both are now lacking any semblance of consistency and seemingly “doing nothing” on the pitch at times; they are occupying wages far above their current stations and costing Bayern far too much on the pitch and off it. Additionally, João Cancelo should not be signed. While he does have merits, a bulky transfer fee and wage packet for an ageing player all too often over-complicating situations is money wasted. I do not understand the affection brandished his way by other Bayern fans at all. Selection: Leon Goretzka.

RLD: On the player side I expect Mané to be the biggest name to leave. Despite being a good player and a well-respected person he doesn’t seem to have found a good fit here. Unless Tuchel has some special plans for him we have not seen yet, or the club moves out other wingers, he seems a goner. In the midfield I would move Ryan Gravenberch along, probably with a transfer. He strikes me as perfectly serviceable but I would like to add a deeper-lying midfielder and keep Marcel Sabitzer as he already has a very good relationship with Konrad Laimer. That makes Graves the odd man out. Moving Leon along could achieve the same thing but I think he has accomplished too much here to ship out after just one poor season.

If Paul Wanner recovers well from his injury I would also not be adverse to seeing Gnabry leave to allow Moose more playing time on the wing and Wanner to serve as an understudy to Muller. Selection: Sadio Mané.

Samrin: Who I would like to see leave this summer: Leroy Sané, Sadio Mané, Yann Sommer, Ryan Gravenberch, possibly…Thomas Müller (depending on his situation). I know Sané and the club have been in contract renewal talks; however, the wage inflation issue at Bayern started with Sané who has continuously underperformed, especially considering his wages. Premier League teams like him and he could leave. A path forward for Mané seems unlikely considering his own unhappiness, poor performances and the incident with Sané as well as his wages.

Speaking of unhappy, it seems that Ryan Gravenberch can’t buy a spot in the first XI right now and he is indeed young – there is interest from elsewhere and he might go; I think he should as he deserves a chance to prove himself. Finally, like Chuck mentioned a few weeks ago, I think Müller is a wildcard as well — how many times can you be benched regardless of your performances no matter how many times you have proven yourself in your career? Tuchel becomes another coach in a long line of them not to believe in the Raumdeuter. Müller surely wants to play in the one tournament he has never won, the Euros and, for that, he needs to be at a club where he is starting. Tuchel will win no favors with fans at all if Müller leaves (the cheers every time he is subbed on from the Allianz Arena is testament to that) but I could see it happening. Selection: Leroy Sané.

RIPLT: There are three players that Bayern need to let go, starting with Serge Gnabry. Ever since that Champions League winning run in 2020, Gnabry has become an inconsistent player, blowing hot and cold at random times (the latter of which has decided to show more than the former). In hindsight, giving him a contract extension wasn’t the brightest idea. I was sort of in alignment that Gnabry deserved one but now I don’t remember what it was that he did to get an extension. Now, though, he is not the player that tore apart European defences; he’s peaked at 25 and has fallen off. How sad.

Next up is Sadio Mané. Prominent Liverpool fan and YouTuber James Redmond once said Sadio was the best player in the world, but now it’s only ifs, buts, maybes, and no more absolutes. Mané initially thrived in former coach Julian Nagelsmann’s 4-2-2-2 system as one of the two men up top, usually playing off Thomas Müller or Gnabry. The Senegalese attacker, however, slowly regressed leading up to his injury before the World Cup. Since returning, he has not been as good and has made questionable decisions on the pitch (not to mention his countless offside goals). He has just not worked out for us and it’s best for him to move on.

Last up is Ryan Gravenberch, to loan or sell. Have we just landed ourselves the Dutch James Rodriguez? Gravenberch has been rather vocal with his discontent with not playing a lot of minutes. It’s okay to voice your disappointment but the way the former Ajax man is doing it is earning him more critics than games played. He has now gone to the media three times to say the same thing and it’s honestly annoying now. He’s still young, so maybe if we loan him out to, say, Liverpool, then he would evolve and mature his game. If he decides that he’s gonna be the next Renato Sanches, then we might have to move him and just keep Marcel Sabitzer. Sabi and Laimer can be the rotation players for Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. Selection: Sadio Mané.

Zippy: Is it a cop-out to say nobody? Bayern have had enough disruption to last a few years in just the second half of the season. It’s not the time now to keep ripping it up. That said, for some players, it’s probably time for a change of scenery. Sommer’s cameo at Manuel Neuer’s spot has been splendid; many teams would love him for a #1. Benjamin Pavard needs a place to fulfill his center-back dreams. Gravenberch needs a loan where he can show what he’s made of.

Sabitzer is as good as gone to Manchester United. And the Alex Nübel drama should end. The biggest call to make will be with Sadio Mané. I like Mané immensely, but his struggles to acclimate and more uncertain than ever position in a crowded pecking order under Tuchel don’t bode well for a second season. His contract is only for three years, meaning it’s already edging towards renewal territory. Premier League teams are hovering and it might be a relief for Mané himself to return to familiar waters. It’s the necessary move to make way for the striker everyone knows is coming. Selection: Sadio Mané.

Logan: My pick might be a little controversial, but IF Pavard wants to leave, sell him this summer and get something out of him before he leaves on a free next year. Listen, I think Pavard still has a lot to give Bayern, and I don’t want to see him leave, but if he has already decided he is out, then sell him now. By no means should Bayern take a low ball offer, but if someone offers a good deal, I would take it. All this being said, I would love to see the two sides work out a way to keep Pavard in Munich for years to come. Selection: Benjamin Pavard.