Bayern Munich fans want Dayo Upamecano (26) to leave, not Kim Min-Jae (28).
Bayern Munich finished the 2023-2024 season without a win. Their bid for a 12th consecutive Bundesliga title was thwarted by Leverkusen, and they packed up early in the German Football Association (DFB) Pokal, losing to a third-tier team.
Their last hope, the UEFA Champions League (UCL), was also a disappointment. Bayern Munich bounced back with an upset of Arsenal in the quarterfinals, but couldn’t get past Real Madrid in the semifinals. It was the first time since the 2011-2012 season that the Bavarians hadn’t won a trophy.
Now, the Bavarians are preparing to overhaul their squad. They”ve already said goodbye to coach Thomas Tuchel. He was scheduled to coach Bayern Munich until June 2025, but announced in February that he would leave the club after this season.
A squad reshuffle is inevitable. Wingers Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane have all been linked with departures. Tuchel is still without the reliable defensive midfielder he so desperately wants. Bayern Munich’s bench resources were also a big difference against Real Madrid.
“Bayern Munich is going through a turbulent period,” said TransferMarkt. In addition to finding Tuchel’s successor, the board is planning a major overhaul of the squad. Almost every player is reportedly being tested. New and hungry players must come in to change the mentality of the team.”
Sky Sports Germany also emphasized the need for changes in the squad. “Against Real Madrid, there were hardly any substitutes left,” the media outlet said. It was a bitter pill for Bayern Munich to swallow. There were too many injuries and the squad was not strong enough. There is a lot of talk that the team needs to make some changes if they don’t want to end up in the same position next season. On top of that, the UCL final will once again be held in Munich next year. There is no greater motivation than that.”
The most pressing positions are in the middle and on both wings. “Do Sané, Gnabry and Cormand have the will to give everything and win like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery? It’s questionable,” says Sky Sports, “and are Konrad Reimer, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka the world-class players they need? Reimer had a good game against Real Madrid, Pavlovic has great potential, but Goretzka hasn’t played a minute. They are good players, but I doubt they can make a big difference in the title race.”
The central defense, including Kim Min-Jae, has not escaped criticism either. Sky Sports wrote: “Two good center backs are not enough. Kim 안전놀이터 Min-Jae was involved in both goals in the first leg, while Upamecano made frequent mistakes. Eric Dier is doing better than expected, but something needs to be done here,” and “Bayern Munich need a major overhaul. The board must address the issues once a new coach is appointed,” he reiterated.
It looks like Kim Min-jae is even on the release list. “The Bayern Munich board is probably deep in thought about the failure of the signing,” said Germany’s TZ. The price tag for Kim Min-jae has already been set.” “Recently, Napoli is said to be interested in bringing Kim Min-jae back. Bayern Munich is willing to sell him if the Italians offer 50 million euros (approximately KRW 739 million).”
Mistakes against Real Madrid proved costly. Kim Min-jae made two mistakes in the first leg against Real Madrid that led directly to a goal. According to Bild, the Bayern Munich board of directors had no intention of selling Kim until now, but that has changed. The possibility of Kim’s release became a specific topic.
“Kim has angered a lot of Bayern Munich fans by conceding goals from bad positioning and giving away penalties for being too greedy in his dueling play,” TZ explained. “Not only that, but the board is ready to let him go after just one season if they receive a reasonable offer.
Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg also questioned Kim’s future. He said that Bayern Munich are looking for a new defensive leader, including Jonatan Ta (Leverkusen), and that Upamecano or Kim will likely leave the team this summer.
Bayern Munich fans were quick to call for Upamecano’s departure. “Upamecano has had three seasons, but he still makes the same mistakes. It’s time to move on,” “I hope it’s Upamecano. Kim Min-jae just needs playing time,” “Upamecano should leave,” “Upamecano can leave immediately,” and so on.
The prevailing opinion was that Kim should be given more time. “When a new coach comes, Kim Min-jae should be given a new chance,” “Kim Min-jae should wait another year. He needs time to develop,” and “Kim Min-jae should stay. It’s too early to judge him based on one season. He can rebound again,” “Kim Min-jae deserves to stay. If he plays consistently instead of being benched, he can fulfill his potential,” and so on.
Indeed, Kim Min-jae was playing exceptionally well until the middle of the season. He single-handedly anchored the Bayern Munich defense when Matthias der Licht and Upamecano went down with injuries. He played full-time for 15 consecutive games, which was enough to raise concerns of overuse injuries. He’s struggled for form of late, but given the class he’s shown in the past, there’s a chance he could bounce back.