Bayern is looking for a replacement after Musiara is seriously injured

Looking at Bayern Munich's situation this summer, it can be said that it is very unsuccessful. They have missed important goals like Wilz and Nico Williams in the transfer market, and then, the team's tactical core and most creative player, Jamal Musiara, suffered a serious ankle injury in the Club World Cup, and are expected to be missed for a long time. This accident forced Bayern's management to immediately find a high-level attacker in the market who could fill his vacancy. To replace Musiara, this task is very difficult, because he is not only a player who can score goals and assists, but also the key to the team's connection and explosion in the frontcourt. Let’s analyze several potential candidates in detail.

The first and most commonly mentioned is the French attacker Christopher Nkunku, who currently plays for Chelsea. Let’s analyze the characteristics of Nkunku, who can be said to be a very ideal, even a “plug and play” replacement for Musiara. First of all, from a positional perspective, he can be competent for attacking midfielder and left winger, which is completely coincidental with Musiara. Secondly and most importantly, Nkunku is very familiar with the Bundesliga. In his four seasons of playing for Red Bull Leipzig, he made 172 appearances, contributed 70 goals and 56 assists. This data is very convincing and proves that he is fully capable of becoming a top attacking core in the Bundesliga. Let’s look at another example of him in Chelsea game to see his abilities more intuitively. When the team organized an offense at the front of the penalty area, Nkunku's first reaction was to use speed to attack behind the opponent's defender, and the run itself was very threatening. When he found that the pass route was blocked, he did not blindly continue to move forward, but immediately made a very smart second run, retreated to the gap between the opponent's central defender and the midfielder to pick up his teammates. This kind of running position and position selection ability at the forefront of the penalty area is the embodiment of what we often call "ball merchandising". After receiving the ball, he used a very beautiful, what we often call "pull the ball and turn around", and created a space for himself to shoot with one touch, and the whole move was completed in one go. Although the final shot was saved by the goalkeeper, his ability to handle the ball, his wisdom in running positions and the threat of shooting in a small space are all very similar to Musiara. So, if Bayern wants to find a replacement with the lowest risk, fastest adaptation and most direct effect, then Nkunku is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. The second candidate worthy of attention is the Dutch genius who also plays for Red Bull Leipzig, Harvey Simmons. Compared with Nkunku, Simmons is another player of a completely different style. He is more like a pure, imaginative "artist". His most powerful weapon is his unparalleled dribbling skills and man-ball combination ability. Let's also look at an example of him in the Bundesliga. At that time, he played the offensive midfielder on the left, but he would not stay in one position rigidly, but would roam around to find loopholes in the opponent's defense. In an attack, he first retreated to the No. 10 position to catch the ball, and then used his excellent dribbling to dribble over two defensive players in a row, easily breaking into the penalty area. He even tried to finish the shot with a trick shot from the heel while handling the ball in the end. Although he did not enter, the whole process fully demonstrated his strong personal ability, confidence and creativity. Simmons' unreasonable ability to complete breakthroughs in one-on-one or even one-on-two is what any team needs. But the problem with introducing him may be the price. Leipzig just bought him out, so the transfer fee will definitely not be cheap. Bayern needs to weigh whether to choose a safer Nkunku or invest in a Harvey Simmons, who may have a higher ceiling but also has a more free kick.

The third one is a relatively "unpopular" but very potential choice, that is Liverpool's young player Xavi Elliott. Elliott was elected the best player in the just-concluded U21 European Championship, and his ability is unquestionable. He is a left-footed player and has been playing right winger most of his career and likes to cut in, but he can also perform very well in the midfield. His most outstanding advantages are his football quotient and ability to utilize space. Let's see his game at Liverpool. When teammate Garkepo held the ball in the middle, Elliott first made a fake move toward the goal, attracting the attention of the opponent's central defender and taking the defender away from the position. Immediately afterwards, he immediately ran back and inserted into the gap behind the central defender that he had just created himself, and received a straight pass from his teammate. The timing and route of running without the ball were chosen very smartly. After entering the penalty area, he was very calm again. He first used the change of rhythm to shake off the defense, and then completed a high-quality shot with his non-usual right foot. The whole process reflects his outstanding skills, calm mind and the feeling of being an attacker in front of the door. For him, leaving Liverpool to go to a team that allows him to play in the main and more core midfield position may be more conducive to his development.

In short, it is very difficult to find a player who can completely replace Musiara. The three players we analyzed above have different characteristics. Nkunku is the most direct and secure alternative; Harvey Silou is the creator with extremely high talent limits and can bring more surprises; while Elliot is a potential stock that needs coaches to craft but has outstanding tactical wisdom. How Bayern will choose in the end will depend on their transfer budget and head coach Kompany's final vision for the team's future offensive system.