Bayern Munich to undergo serious overhaul - with five senior stars facing axe: report

Thomas Tuchel gestures during Bayern Munich's Champions League game against FC Copenhagen in November 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bayern Munich bosses are looking to overhaul the squad over the course of the season, with five senior squad members set to be put up for sale as they look for more leadership within the side.

Despite reaching the knockout rounds of the Champions League unbeaten in the group stage, the Bayern Munich hierarchy is unhappy with performances on the pitch as the Bavarian giants sit second in the Bundesliga following a 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

And with Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller both coming to the end of their time at Bayern, executives are concerned there aren't enough leaders to step up, leading to five important players facing the exit door over the next six months.

Thomas Müller of FC Bayern München looks on during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and F.C. Copenhagen at Allianz Arena on November 29, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images) Manchester United target

Muller and Neuer look likely to leave Bayern at the end of the campaign (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl, as reported by @iMiaSanMia, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Matthijs De Ligt, Alphonso Davies and Serge Gnabry are all at risk of being sold. 

Kimmich has struggled to impress under Thomas Tuchel, with the German boss reportedly unconvinced with the midfielder's displays on the pitch. While he has continued to start the majority of games, Kimmich could attract plenty of interest from elsewhere in Europe as Bayern look to reinvigorate their midfield. 

The German giants attempted that in the summer with Fulham's Joao Palhinha, but failed on deadline day to get the deal across the line. Goretzka faces a similar predicament to his national team team-mate, the report suggests.

Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich interact after the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and FC Bayern München at RheinEnergieStadion on November 24, 2023 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images)

Goretzka, Gnabry and Kimmich could all face the Bayern exit door (Image credit: Getty Images)

De Ligt, meanwhile, is unable to live up to Tuchel's desire for a ball-playing centre-back, with Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae both preferred ahead of him. Ronald Araujo has also been linked with a move to Bayern, leaving De Ligt's position at the club in a precarious state.

With Bryan Zaragoza set to join the club from Granada in the summer of 2024, Gnabry's time at Bayern looks set to be over, too. The forward would command a large transfer fee, and provide space in the squad for upcoming stars such as Zaragoza to flourish.

Finally, Alphonso Davies has regularly been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga, with sides such as Real Madrid and Manchester City both reportedly interested in him. The Canadian's contract is also up for renewal, and his lacklustre performances haven't convinced the Bayern Munich hierarchy to match his wage demands. 

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Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.