Every soccer fan knows that the old guard at Bayern Munich will only be around for so much longer and while Philipp Lahm and Frank Ribery still bring so much to the team, there is a young core emerging led by players like Thomas Muller and David Alaba. The summer transfer window will allow the club to add reinforcements if necessary but there will also be opportunities for some of the team’s younger players to move up. Here is a look at five Bayern Munich young guns that are ready to make the jump to Pep Guardiola’s teams next season.
Joshua Kimmich, Midfielder
Kimmich is still 20 years old but he has had plenty of experience having trained at Stuttgart before joining Leipzig two years ago. He will spend this summer at the European Under-21 Championship before joining Bayern Munich again. Kimmich certainly deserved a promotion after a strong season with Leipzig and it might not be long before he carves out a bigger role with Bayern as a hard-nosed defensive midfielder that is wise beyond his years. Bayern only gave up 18 goals last season, which was by far the fewest in the Bundesliga. Only one other team allowed less than 38. That means if Kimmich is eased in, he’ll be surrounded by lots of quality to make up for any rookie mistakes as he goes through the growing pains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m2GjjBL4aY
Kimmich is also a strong playmaker that knows how to create for his teammates and it’s only a matter of time before he makes the permanent move to Bayern’s senior club.
Sinan Kurt, Forward
The 18-year-old striker joined Bayern from Borussia Monchengladbach late in the transfer window last summer and struggled to adapt. He only had seven goals the entire season despite scoring five goals in his first four games. Kurt made his first team debut in April against Hertha BSC and while he hasn’t arrived just yet, the team is confident that he is close to making the permanent jump. Kurt will turn 19 this summer and he will benefit from the entire preseason at Bayern where he can learn under Guardiola and the senior players. There is no doubt he has all of the tools to become a star eventually and his permanent promotion could be sooner than later.
Gianluca Gaudino, Midfielder
The Hanau, Germany native was a surprise star for Bayern Munich last preseason and he earned high praise from Guardiola. Gaudino spent the majority of the season with the U-19 side developing his skills and working hard on his fitness and there is every reason to think he could play a significant role with the big club this coming year. Gaudino has physically matured and that is all that he still needs as a gifted playmaker with excellent passing skills that Bayern fans have every reason to be excited about seeing with the big club soon.
Niklas Dorsch, Midfielder
Dorsch is still just 17 years old and he recently suffered a fracture that will force him to miss the next few months as he recovers and prepares for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Dorsch has the potential to eventually be a star and while he is further away from a permanent role with the big club than Gaudino, the Bayern fans should be excited about his future as a potential linchpin in the midfield in the years to come.
Marco Stefandl, Midfielder
Stefandl falls into a similar category to Dorsch in that he is still just 17 and still has to physically mature in order to reach his potential. He is still in his teen body, understandably, but will need to fill out the frame to succeed with the seniors. Stefandl will spend next year working on his fitness after suffering a fractured tibia this past season but he is a promising young winger with the type of offensive flare and talent to eventually thrive at the highest level with Bayern Munich.
