The imminent deal with Dayot Upamecano makes it clear: the competitive pressure on Niklas Süle at FC Bayern is not diminishing. Is he up to it?
There is a lot going on in the defence of FC Bayern Munich.
David Alaba, a long-standing pillar, is about to jump. Jérôme Boateng, once again undisputed pillar of the present after a few years of fluctuation, is pressing for an honorable renewal of his expiring contract. Dayot Upamecano is to come from RB Leipzig and become a pillar of the future.
But what happens to a still quite young man, who was actually once intended as a central building block of the Munich defensive mosaic?
Niklas Süle, who became an heir to Boateng in the national team and who was supposed to be in Bavaria, could become a victim of the architectural shift that the record champion is currently making.
Niklas Süle not where he was before the cruciate ligament rupture
The 25-year-old Süle has not yet returned to where he stood when a cruciate ligament rupture forced him to take about ten months of competition break in October 2019.
In the absence of the 1.95-meter-tall right foot, Alaba and Boateng developed into the new heart of FCB defense, while Alphonso Davies’ conversion to left-back – Alaba’s previous position – was one of the success stories of the triple season.
Also this season Alaba and Boateng are in the defensive center with Hansi Flick, Süle also comes to play, but often he also sits on the bench or helps out as a right-wing defender. As a central defender, the 1.95 metre right foot has only started five times in 19 league games so far. On Saturday against ex-club Hoffenheim Süle remained only a three-minute joker – for Boateng.
In the coming season Süle is likely to lose to Alaba as a competitor, but there is probably a new high-profile rival in the form of Upamecano – mediated by player advisor Volker Struth, who is also Süles Agent (which is why Süles and Upamecano’s advisor agency are splitting up).