A lot has happened with the loan players from the FC Bayern Munich reserve during the winter transfer period: Two have already changed clubs – and a third is likely to follow. Another finally has a playing license.
The Austrian first division club Austria Klagenfurt recently developed into a small branch of FC Bayern Munich. In the hope of getting a bit of match practice in professional football, the Munich team has already lent several talented players to Klagenfurt.
The good relationship between the two clubs can also be attributed to contacts between various leaders. Campus manager Jochen Sauer worked with Klagenfurt’s chief scout Manfred Linzmaier during his time at RB Salzburg. Sauer emphasized the “constructive and trusting talks” between the two clubs.
The player exchange started in 2021 with Alex Timossi Andersson, who immediately secured a regular place in Klagenfurt and played a major role in Austria’s rise. After a strong Bundesliga season, FC Bayern brought the now 22-year-old Swede back, only to sell him to SC Heerenveen for €550,000.
Klagenfurt started the current season with three loans from FC Bayern: The Chinese keeper Liu Shaoziyang (19) and the two midfielders Emilian Metu (19, Austria) and Daniel Francis (19, Nigeria) are not playing for Austria, who are currently sixth Role.
FC Bayern: Liu Shaoziyang should switch to GAK
Shaoziyang moved to Munich from cooperation partner FC Wuhan Three Towns a year ago and became the first Chinese player in the club’s history. Shortly thereafter, FC Bayern loaned him to Klagenfurt. As a non-EU foreigner, Shaoziyang is not eligible to play for the reserve in the Regionalliga Bayern. There are only exceptions in this respect for players from selected countries such as the USA, Canada, Japan or South Korea.
Since then, it hasn’t been enough to play for Klagenfurt’s Bundesliga team. In the first half of the season, Liu was regularly in goal for the fourth-rate reserves and was invited to the Chinese U20 national team. Nevertheless, the loan contract, which is actually valid until the summer, should, according to information from SPOX and GOAL will be canceled in winter – and the player will be passed on to the Austrian second division club Grazer AK.
Such a transfer would be possible because the transfer window in Austria is open until February 6th. The traditional Graz club is currently fighting for promotion to the Bundesliga – and has already strengthened itself with another Bayern player: Lenn Jastremski.
The 22-year-old striker was actually on loan to the third division club Erzgebirge Aue for the whole season, but moved on to Graz without further ado due to a lack of match practice on the deadline day. “I’m happy that in Lenn we’re getting a very well-trained striker who will do our game very well with his physique and speed,” said GAK sports director Dieter Elsneg.
FC Bayern: Nick Salihamidzic has a new club
It is unlikely, but cannot be ruled out entirely, that Liu’s colleague Metu will also do something. After a season as a reserve player in FC Bayern, he figured he had a chance to play in Klagenfurt’s Bundesliga team. However, Metu only made a two-minute short appearance and otherwise played like Liu for the fourth-rate reserve. Both were absent from the squad at Austria’s winter training camp in Slovenia.
Nick Salihamidzic’s loan ended early in November. The son of sports director Hasan had actually signed with the MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps until the end of 2023, but did not even prevail there with the reserve. The 19-year-old right-back described the change as a “big mistake” in a video on Instagram. In the second half of the season he plays for the Italian second division club Cosenza Calcio.
FC Bayern: This is how it works with the other reserve loan players
Otherwise, four other reserve players from FC Bayern are currently on loan. Central defender Jamie Lawrence (20) is occasionally allowed to play for second division club 1. FC Magdeburg; Midfielder Torben Rhein (20) fought for a regular place with the Austrian first division club Austria Lustenau before the winter break; Striker Marvin Cuni (21) gets regular match practice at third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken.
Sarpreet Singh (23) was not used in the first half of the season for Jahn Regensburg. The second division club did not register the New Zealand offensive player in time, which is why he was not entitled to play. He made his season debut as a substitute last weekend at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Meanwhile, the Japanese midfielder Taichi Fukui (18) was signed during the winter break. He could make his debut at the start of the second half of the Regionalliga Bayern on February 24 against leaders SpVgg Unterhaching. Coach Holger Seitz’s team is currently in sixth place, already 22 points behind Haching.
