Former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has advised Schalke goalkeeper Alexander Nubel to join the Bavarian giants.
Manuel Neuer recently sustained yet another injury. The Bayern Munich and Germany skipper was forced off the pitch just 53 minutes into his team's 4-1 demolition of Fortuna Dusseldorf last weekend.
This is just the latest in a string of unfortunate injuries that have plagued Neuer for the last few seasons. It's nowhere near as serious as the two times he's broken his foot in recent years, but it's still undoubtedly a major annoyance to the sweeper-keeper.
Neuer's recent injury record and subsequent decline in form have caused many to question whether or not Bayern should finding a more immediate successor to his position than heir apparent Christian Fruchtl.
A handful of reports emerged last week linking the Bavarians with a move for FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper Alexander Nubel. The 22-year-old has been a standout player for the Royal Blues this season, often replacing the experienced Ralf Fahrmann in the starting lineup.
Speaking recently on Sky90 (via kicker) former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann, a move to Munich would make sense for Alexander Nubel.
“For me, the most important thing for young players is to learn; learning is more important to me than playing. If you get both, wonderful. But even just a year training with Manuel Neuer would help Nubel more than playing with Schalke.”
Hamann may be right. Spending a year learning under Manuel Neuer could be more beneficial to Nubel than taking the starting role at Schalke. However, the importance of experience for younger players cannot be discounted.
The real question is whether or not Bayern even need Alexander Nubel. They already have a more than capable backup to Manuel Neuer in the form of Sven Ulreich. Behind Ulreich is Christian Fruchtl, one of the most highly rated young players in Munich.
Fruchtl has long been seen as the heir to Manuel Neuer's “throne,” and at 19 isn't too much younger than Nubel himself. While the argument could be made that Nubel would offer some good competition for Fruchtl — and another option in case he turns out to be a bust — it's very easy to also argue that Bayern Munich would be better off spending their money on other areas of the pitch.