According to a report from Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk (via @iMiaSanMia), Jamal Musiala and Bayern Munich are engaged in contract negotiations and the player’s list of demands have been revealed:
Contract negotiations between Bayern and Jamal Musiala have started. Max Eberl and Christoph Freund had a meeting with Musiala and his management last week at the ‘Käfer’ restaurant in Munich. It is now clear to everyone which 5 points will be crucial in order to reach an agreement over a new deal.
Let’s tackle them one-by-one:
1- Musiala should be the #10 in the system around which the team is built. During the meeting, the bosses made it clear to the player that he’s the legitimate successor to Thomas Müller in the position.
BFW Analysis: This was what many had already known or assumed. There is a reason why Musiala rarely sits — and why coaches have continued to play him at the No. 10 position, even during times where it might have made sense to use a different approach. With Müller in the twilight of his career, the transition has already been made (which has become obvious given how Vincent Kompany has used Müller). Where this makes things interesting is with the impending return of Paul Wanner from his loan at Heidenheim and with Bayern Munich’s rumored interest in Florian Wirtz. Both of those players are also options for the No. 10 role. More on this to come, though…
2- Musiala should be Bayern’s driving force in the international market. Eberl reiterated during the meeting that he sees Musiala as one of the faces of the club in the future, representing Bayern especially abroad.
BFW Analysis: This is a no-brainer. Once Müller and Manuel Neuer retire, there is no other player with a global profile on the roster.
3- The team should continue to be strengthened – Eberl and Freund were impressed with how Musiala is intensively thinking about the structure the team. The transfer of Michael Olise, in particular, impressed him. Musiala is also in regular contact with Florian Wirtz. A contract extension of Musiala would be an incentive for Wirtz to join Bayern next year.
BFW Analysis: Well, well, well…now THIS is very interesting. Could Kompany’s flexible system be a trial run for how to best use players like Musiala, Wirtz, and Olise all together? Insert Wanner into that mix and that could be a frightening mix in the attack for the foreseeable future.
4- The collective goal is to win the Champions League. The individual goal is to win the Ballon d’Or – Musiala insisted during the meeting that his biggest goal is to win the Champions League. Although he already has the title in his cabinet, he was only a substitute in 2020 and doesn’t feel like a ‘real Champions League winner’. He wants to contribute to the title, which would then improve his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.
BFW Analysis: This could be a roadblock of sorts. Bayern Munich will (likely) always be in contention for a Champions League title. That helps. However, the Bundesliga’s visibility to fans outside the country is not all that prominent as the Premier League and La Liga are far more prominent — and garner much more attention for individual awards.
5- The salary: all 4 points above were discussed in last week’s meeting, but the salary was not discussed yet. Musiala currently earns around €9m gross per year, which should be significantly increased with a contract extension making him one of the club’s top earners. It remains to be seen whether Bayern’s offer would be over or under €20m/year. This point should be discussed in the next meeting
BFW Analysis: Therein lies the rub. Mostly everyone expects Bayern Munich to break the bank — and their own rumored, self-imposed €14 million per season salary limit. However, will the Bavarians go as high as €20 million per season for Musiala at this point in his career? It might seem like a no-brainer to fans, but Bayern Munich could have its resolve tested.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid are all rumored to have interest in Musiala.
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