This is going to be one of the hottest topics of the summer. Provided that Manuel doesn’t abruptly retire. That’s actually not something that I would rule out. The stress that he would have to put on a surgically repaired leg at his age may be too much for him. Especially when it comes to training. I don’t think that the casual fan or even someone who’s played the game, but hasn’t played goalkeeper truly understand what your body goes through in pro goalkeeper training. For the sake of argument though, let’s say that Neuer gets back to decent shape. What does Bayern Munich need to do? For starters, they are going to have to come face to face with what in my eyes was a mistake.
Was Yann Sommer Just A Rental?
What a lot of us on the outside looking in thought when Bayern Munich Yann Sommer in was that the team was only going to be using him as a short term rental until Neuer got better. At the time it seemed like an odd decision because it was clear that Neuer wasn’t going to be better for a while. Also, why would Sommer take a short term deal with them? So it turns out that Sommer’s contract runs through June 2025. With that in mind we can clearly see that Sommer’s not on such a short deal. He’s moving into his mid 30s, so it’s pretty clear that he wouldn’t sign a long term deal anywhere. Having a couple of years on his deal is probably one of the reasons why he signed.
The problem that I saw was the fact that in singing Sommer Bayern pretty much admitted that they had no plan to move to a younger goalkeeper any time soon. That in my mind is not a good look for their scouting department or their underage teams. You’re ultimately getting a keeper that’s a little younger. While I do understand that you didn’t want a massive drop-off at the position with Neuer injured this was a move that didn’t necessarily have the clubs long term interests in mind. That could be one of the reasons why Oliver Khan got fired from his role at the club!
Neuer Is Also Still Under Contract
Manuel Neuer is still going to be under contract for next summer. Since he’s rehabbing I don’t see a situation where he would get cut before his contract is up. Unless he goes ahead and retires. With Oliver Khan and some of the other higher ups getting sacked it wouldn’t be odd to see Neuer retire and take up an administrative role within the club. Especially if he tries to go on that broken leg, and it just doesn’t pan out. The only issue with that situation is that the money that he’ll get offered at a new position within the club may not be as good as his current contract. He could opt out of his contract to carry favor with the team.
I’m pretty much assuming all of this because I can’t see him coming back to be too effective after the massive injury. It’s fair so say that we’ve come a long way when it comes to medicine. Athletes have been able to recover from very significant injuries at late stages of their careers. We had situation with Zaltan and his bum knee late into his 30s. He was able to bounce back and be key in that AC Milan scudetto run. When it comes to goalkeepers I just wouldn’t even like to see Neuer try in a weird sense. The wear and tear on the body could end up giving him problems for later in life. For him at this point in his career to risk that I just don’t see it making too much sense. At the same time these guys are competitive animals that will fight to be on the pitch.
Who Would Win A Head to Head Duel?
Let’s move out of the realm of what’s realistic and into a hypotehtical head to head battle between Manuel Neuer and Yann Sommer if they were both healthy enough to play. Even though Yann Sommer in my book is one of those goalkeepers that is confident with the ball at his feet and he’s one of the smartest keepers on the planet he’s not Neuer as a sweeper keeper. That doesn’t mean that this automatically puts Neuer ahead in a head to head duel. It would come down to the type of play that the team is trying to execute. Any goalkeeper that you put up against Neuer as a sweeper keeper losses. That means that the team can’t play with the defensive line as far up the field.
At this point I think Sommer is a much better shot stopper. Close and long range. I’ve actually been critical of Neuer on this site before about his shot stopping ability after coming back from his last injury. I think he’s lost a step when it comes to how quickly he’s able to turn and dive towards a shot. That’s Yann Sommer’s best quality. The quick feet that allow him to take the small step and fly towards the incoming shot. If you want someone between the sticks Sommer’s got Neuer beat.
Having said this and only taking into account Neuer’s age … ok I’m lying also the injury history. Sommer is the guy you want to role with. You have two contract years to find a replacement. While having your goal guarded by one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. Even if he’s totally undervalued.
Does Neuer Want To Play?
That answer is actually yes! At least according to his IG page. He shared a couple of pictures of him getting back on the pitch and between the sticks. Some of the pictures show him diving. Like I’ve been saying though the problem is not whether he can dive once or twice. I think what he and his team need to see is how the body reacts to session after session day after day. What happens with a lot of the older players that we maybe don’t value as fans is that they have to spend a lot more time on the trainers table after practice.
You could say anything that you want to say about it’s their job and want not. Many of us do come to work every day in a bit of pain. Wether it be physical or emotional. I get that, but for someone like Neuer whose won everything and made a ton of cash it may not make too much sense to put in the work. Especially when you see that you’re just coming along physically, and you have to compete with Sommer. I just think that whenever I get the chance I have to really make sure that people understand just how good the Swiss goalkeeper is.
A Third Option Is Likely Going To Come Into The Equation
I’ve already floated this idea out here. Neuer is trying to get back. It’s hard to see both him and Sommer on the roster fighting it out. It may come down to that though. Right now the situation at Bayen though may be keeping them from making a decision before the season starts. So far there is no third option, not one that seems viable at least. I wouldn’t be surprised though if something comes up from now until the end of the summer. Especially if Neuer figures out that he’s either not going to be able to go or that the new manager wants Sommer between the sticks and not him.
Gregor Kobel another Swiss goalkeeper may have been a better option my book before they even brought in Sommer. Now that they’ve put themselves in this dilemma it’s hard to see him coming in to back up Sommer or Neuer. That leaves you with someone like Marvin Schwäbe as one of the few options that could make sense just based on age. I can’t really see someone like Kevin Trapp putting himself in this situation. To be honest I didn’t see the Sommer situation happening either. The reality is that there are not a lot of young keepers that can come in right now and be the option for the future. Especially if you have to convince them to sit behind one of the two monsters or both of them.
How I Would Handle The Situation
First off, I wouldn’t of brought in Sommer. I understand why they did it. Neuer’s injury looked career ending. I even wrote about that recently. So the idea was to make sure that the team did not lose that veteran presence between the sticks. I feel they thought Neuer was not going to ever come back. With that in mind that’s how I would operate moving forward. Let Neuer know that if he wants to stay on it’s as Sommer’s back up until the contract runs out. If he wants to move into the front office he could start doing that.
In sticking with Sommer you still have like a good three or four years left. In that time you want to develop a goalkeeper or hope that another team develops one so that you can bring him on. I didn’t talk about options outside the Bundesliga because Bayern Munich rarely goes away from the local market. Especially when it comes to looking for goalkeepers. If Gregor Kobel continues on the right path he could be a perfect signing for the team in 2025 when Yann Sommer’s contract runs out!
