Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed his club's desire to sign a goalkeeper after captain Manuel Neuer was injured, but pointed to the lack of options in the winter transfer market.
At the end of a week-long training camp in Doha, Qatar, before the Bundesliga season resumes next week, Nagelsmann said that substitute goalkeeper Sven Ulrich, 34, is ready to replace Neuer, and the club is also looking for another goalkeeper.
"Our task is to look at the market, although it is difficult in the winter to find guards, and it is logical that there are not many options in the market now," he added.
🗣 Nagelsmann about the camp: “I am happy with the camp in general. Some of the players had bruises, so we decided to reduce the intensity of the training a bit, but it was good and the young players did their best, and the basics too. The atmosphere between the team is great.”# Mia_San_Mia #FCBayernWTC pic .twitter.com/4unjeklZeg
- Bayern Munich (@FCBayernAr) January 12, 2023
Nagelsmann continued, "It is a complicated issue. We are trying to do something. Ulrich excelled in the training here, but the club is forced to include another goalkeeper without looking at who will be the first and second choice."
Neuer, who was part of the Germany squad that was eliminated in the first round of the “Qatar 2022” World Cup, will be absent until the end of the season after he underwent surgery after suffering a broken leg bone in a skiing accident.
Nagelsmann indicated that the options, away from Ulrich, are limited to young guards, including Johannes Schenck (19 years), who has no experience in major league matches.
The injury is worse than expected
According to "BILD", Neuer's injury appears to be worse than expected, and may force him to spend a longer period outside the stadiums or even end his career.
This local newspaper said that Swiss Jan Sommer (Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper) is the first choice to replace Neuer, but indicated that his club ruled out selling him this month, although he could leave for free when his contract expires next summer.
Bayern, the leaders, will complete its journey - towards consolidating its record by achieving the league title for the 11th time in a row - by facing Leipzig on January 20.
The Bavarian team will play a single friendly match against Salzburg, Austria, on Friday.
And the coach returned to say, "We want to prepare for a major confrontation against an elite competitor like Leipzig. We plan to play with the starting line-up against Salzburg."
Next month, Bayern, the leader by 4 points ahead of Leipzig, third in the standings, by 6 points, will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.