Bayern Munich’s Matthias der Licht (24) has been linked with Manchester United.
“The Red Devils are looking for new options to strengthen their defense,” British outlet CutOffside reported on Monday. One of the targets is Der Licht,” the English publication reported.
“United have made contact with Bayern Munich over the signing of Der Licht,” Spanish outlet Todo Pichajes reported.
“Bayern Munich are in talks with United. They will only let him leave if they get a transfer fee of £42.5 million.”
United are looking to bolster their defense this summer. Raphael Varane is set to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season. The futures of Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are uncertain. Lisandro Martinez has been a long-term absentee due to injury problems. His durability is lacking.
Manchester United have yet to decide if they will stay with Eric ten Bosch. Whether he stays or a new manager comes in, it’s clear that the defense needs to be strengthened.
The center back they are looking at is Der Licht. Der Licht, who joined Bayern Munich in 2022-23 after spells at Ajax and Juventus, is a physical, intelligent defender who brings stability to the defense. He has good passing and vision to lead the buildup from the back. He scored three goals and provided one assist in 43 games last season, starting 27 of the 31 Bundesliga matches he played.
This season, he played less early on. That’s because Kim Min-jae joined the team. Thomas Tuchel dropped Der Licht from the roster in favor of Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano in the starting lineup. This, coupled with a knee injury, left him as the third option in the team.
There were even transfer rumors. There was even talk that he could leave Bayern Munich for the Premier League. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with his reduced playing time.
However, things started to turn around in January. While Kim Min-jae was away at the Asian Cup, Der Licht cemented his place in the starting lineup. He has been the first-choice center back ever since. He repaid Tuchel’s faith in him by partnering with Eric Dier, who joined in the winter transfer window. He finished the season as the team’s number one option, scoring two goals and providing one assist in 30 games this season. He started 16 of the 22 Bundesliga matches.
If Der Licht does make the move, Kim Min-jae’s place in the team will be even bigger.
Bayern Munich will have a new coach next season in Vincent Kompany. Kompany plays an attacking style of 메이저토토사이트 soccer, influenced by Pep Guardiola in the past.
Kompany’s aggressive tactical philosophy could change the positioning of Kim Min-jae, who prefers to play a defense that approaches and wins the ball rather than waiting.
Similar to Guardiola, Kompany plays a high defensive line to gain possession. The basis for this is the speed of the central defenders, and of the four central defenders currently at Bayern Munich, Kim is considered the fastest, followed by Upamecano.
Kompany’s tactics are also completely different from Tuchel’s. Whereas Tuchel is a traditional tactician who uses his fullbacks in a straight line, Kompany, like Guardiola, uses his fullbacks to penetrate into the center, which means that the key to Kompany”s defensive tactics is how to cover the space behind the fullbacks when they overlap. He needs a fast central defender.
“Kompany’s football philosophy is similar to Guardiola’s,” said Bild. Dominant and possession football, build-ups from the back, lots of movement, inverted full-backs and the goalkeeper’s involvement in (build-ups) are perfect for Bayern Munich. Kompany is also considered a great communicator and supporter of young players. That’s what Bayern Munich also expect from him. In general, Kompany has a good relationship with the players. This is important in a complex locker room at Bayern Munich,” analyzes the coach.
Indeed, at his inaugural press conference at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Kompany said, “I want the Bayern Munich players to be bold, especially when they have the ball.”
“I also want the team to be more aggressive. “I want the team to be aggressive because I’m an aggressive person 토토사이트 추천 myself,” he said. “I want the team to reflect the two elements that characterize my football. You have to be bold in your decisions with the ball, and you have to play aggressive football in every moment,” he emphasized.
The Bundesliga’s secretariat has released its predicted best lineup for Bayern Munich for the 2024-25 season on its official channels. They predicted that the recently appointed Kompany will utilize the Kim-Min-Jae-Der Licht combination as the main striker.
The Mirror, a British publication, also predicted Bayern Munich’s starting lineup for next season under Kompany. “Der Licht is likely to be the core of the defense and there will be fierce competition for his partner,” said the Mirror. Kim Min-Jae is likely to beat out Eric Dier and Dayo Upamecano to be his partner.”
Der Licht is likely to play a big role at Bayern Munich next season. A move to United is also expected. He has been linked with United before. His choice of club will depend on where he ends up.