The chat histories of Niklas Süle with a mediator from 2018 and 2019 that were leaked in the course of a consultancy dispute caused a stir. Why did the defender want to leave Bayern for England? And how should the exchanged messages be assessed in light of the fact that his contract will expire next year? A classification.
Off to the island. Preferably to Manchester United. Or to Tottenham Hotspur. If necessary also to Arsenal. The main thing is to get away from Munich.
The on Friday from mirrors published WhatsApp messages that Niklas Süle exchanged with consultant Murat Lokurlu caused incomprehension and indignation among some fans of the record champions.
Süle himself did not show the vortex in the 3-1 away win in Fürth, put down a concentrated and serene performance in the defense center of FCB.
Why not? For him, the topic, as much as it may provide material for discussion, is yesterday’s news. According to information from SPOX and Goal he played at that time primarily because of ex-coach Niko Kovac with the idea of leaving Bayern.
FC Bayern: Not only Sule dissatisfied under Kovac
Although he was regularly used under Kovac until his severe cruciate ligament injury in October 2019, he simply did not feel comfortable under today’s coach of AS Monaco – just like more seasoned players such as Thomas Müller, Jerome Boateng or Joshua Kimmich. And that he was attracted by the Premier League, he made no secret of it in an interview with SPOX and Goal at the end of September 2019 – a few days before one of his WhatsApp exchanges with agent Lokurlu.
Two years later, Süle’s wish to change at the time must of course be viewed in a differentiated manner. Süle does not rule out a new challenge solely due to his contractual situation – he is only tied to the record champions until June 30, 2022. The key difference: he now feels that he is in good hands with FCB, which is also down to coach Julian Nagelsmann, with whom he enjoyed working at TSG Hoffenheim.
It is still possible for Süle to stay at FC Bayern
A stay beyond the current season is de facto still possible – also because Nagelsmann himself thinks of Süle.
The national player, who has been with FCB since 2017, belongs “to the top European shelf”, which was also seen against Fürth “at one point or another,” said the Bayern coach after the fifth win in the sixth Bundesliga game SPOX and Goal. The WhatsApp messages? Wasn’t a big issue internally.
“I did not include that in my considerations as to whether I would let him play or not,” Nagelsmann clarified. “I’ve known Niki for years, he has incredible qualities and a lot of potential. We try to tease that out of him every day.” His conclusion: Süle is on the right track, even though he still has to take “development steps”. And Nagelsmann sees him alongside Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez as an important part of his central defense.
It is therefore also clear: In the event that the contract negotiations that are currently on hold do not result in an extension, those responsible at FC Bayern are looking for alternatives to Süle.
As an alternative to Süle: FCB has Rüdiger in mind
Chelsea’s defense chief Antonio Rüdiger, who, like Süle, is in his last year of contract, is one of them, according to information from SPOX and Goal. So far, however, the Munich team has not signaled any serious intentions to the Rüdiger side to bring about a free transfer in the coming summer.
This is an indication that the Süle files are still far from closed for the squad planners around Hasan Salihamidzic. The fact that Süle is currently having to pay for a public advisory dispute does nothing to change that. Even if he’s not particularly interested in that himself.
