Thomas Tuchel will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023-24 season after a spell that has only strengthened his reputation as perhaps the most polarizing manager in football right now.
From the moment he was appointed as Julian Nagelsmann’s replacement in early 2023, the German felt like he had hit a wall, but he has fought his way up the Bundesliga ladder with his new club. It all came loose this season as they completely slowed down and fell far short of the mighty Bayer Leverkusen, who became the first team other than Bayern to win the Bundesliga since 2012.
Despite a poor league run, Tuchel led the club to the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost to Real Madrid on a controversial VAR decision. He was responsible for bringing Harry Kane and a few others to Munich, but what happened to the players he let go?
Tuchel has released eight players on permanent contracts during his time at the club. We looked at their performance afterwards and assessed whether the Germans should have kept some of them.
Bright Array-Mbi
Although he made his debut in the Champions League for Bayern Munich’s first team under coach Hansi Flick at the end of 2020, the season after they won the treble, Aley Mubi was unable to break into the first team. He spent last season on loan at Hannover 96.
His loan became a permanent contract in the summer of 2023. He has appeared in 30 games in the second division of the Bundesliga so far this season, becoming a regular at his new club as they aim for promotion. However, Bayern seem to have made the right decision to let him go, even though he has no chance of promotion this season.
daily blind
In what felt like a rather strange transfer at the time, Bayern acquired Blind in early 2023 after releasing his contract with Ajax, but he only made five appearances for the German giants before signing him in the summer. He left the group again.
I didn’t think much about his departure. He signed for Girona on a free transfer and initially played a key role in the heart of Girona’s defense as they were on the brink of winning La Liga, but has since put together a commendable campaign and finished in the top four. It is certain that he will finish in
Given Kim Min-jae’s poor start to Munich, Dayot Upemekano’s inconsistent form, and the subsequent signing of Elid Dier midway through the season, Bayern are looking for an experienced Dutch player. It would have been better to keep him.
Lucas Hernandez
Five years have passed since he signed a contract that was a club record at the time. Bayern parted ways with Hernandez in the summer of 2023 for 80 million euros, selling him to Paris Saint-Germain for around half of what they originally paid for him.
The towering French defender ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund and is expected to be sidelined for a long time.
Read next: Where are they now? Thomas Tuchel’s most expensive contract in each season since 2010
Take our quiz: Can you name all the clubs that knocked Bayern Munich out of the Champions League since 2000?
Marcel Sabitzer
Perhaps another escape was that Sabitzer did not perform at all after his move from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich, spending his final months as a Bayern player on loan at Manchester United, but due to injuries he did not perform well at all. I did not go.
Die Roten sold him to Borussia Dortmund last summer for a transfer fee of around 1,000 yen. According to reports, 19 million euros. This equates to around £15m, but for such a low price the Austrian’s impact at his new club has been immense, scoring six goals in all competitions and a further nine, including: This includes one goal and two assists in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Despite Bayern being eliminated in the league and in Europe, Sabitzer is looking forward to the Champions League final. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Tuchel and Bayern.
sadio mane
Just one season after completing his £35 million move to Bayern, the German giants have had an extremely underwhelming season with Mane injured, scoring just seven goals in the Bundesliga, and falling out with Leroy Sane. After spending time there, Mane was transferred immediately.
Thankfully for Bayern, he was rescued from a bizarre deal by Al Nasr and signed the 32-year-old to Bayern in a deal that recouped most of his transfer fee.
Jan Summer
Sommer just signed for Bayern from Borussia Mönchengladbach at the beginning of 2023 to fill the void left by injured Manuel Neuer. However, after recovering from injury, the Swiss stopper was allowed to join Inter for a short period that summer. According to reports, 6 million euros.
Bayern aren’t completely missing out on Sommer as Neuer looks back at his best, but considering how great Sommer was as a replacement for Andre Onana at Inter, such a measly sum Selling him proved to be a bit of a flop. They should have squeezed a little more out of the Italian side.
Read: Where are they now? Bayern Munich’s richest signing in each season since 2010
Benjamin Pavard
Pavard, another player sold to Inter, was highly regarded at Bayern, but never felt like more than a utility player, and with Tuchel playing alongside Joshua Kimmich at right-back, his game time was significantly reduced. was at risk of being shortened.
He headed to Italy, made 30 appearances for coach Simone Inzaghi’s absolutely brilliant side that destroyed the competition in Serie A, and never looked back.
Then again, considering Bayern’s defensive failures this season, Pavard could have been really useful.
ryan graven birch
Emerging as a shining star at Ajax, Bayern won the race to sign Grafenberg in 2022, but after a tough season in Munich he was willing to sell him to Liverpool in a £38m deal last summer.
Die Roten managed to make a profit despite a difficult campaign, but almost a year on, it would be unreasonable to think that the team would have missed him in midfield.
The 21-year-old has played primarily in a rotational role under Jurgen Klopp and while there is no doubting his potential, this feels like a signing for Liverpool’s future.
