Bayern Munich plan positional change for Jamal Musiala

One of the main things on the to-do list for Julian Nagelsmann when he came to Bayern Munich was getting the best out of Leroy Sane. The young German forward had struggled to show his qualities in the debut season and often lacked consistency.

Nagelsmann couldn’t instantly change Sane’s fortunes, but he was able to identify the best position for the winger. The former Hoffenheim head coach tweaked Sane’s role in the team at the start of the season, and the rest is history. The German winger was moved on the left of the attack with the freedom to occupy central areas. Sane’s productivity has significantly improved, and his productivity in the final third has also increased.

The German coach may have to do a positional switch with another young player in the squad. According to Sport1, Bayern sees Jamal Musiala as the ideal player to link attack and midfield. The club hierarchy believes that Musiala can fill the void left by Thiago Alcantara in 2020.

Thiago operated as number eight/six for Die Roten. The Spanish midfielder was a silky midfielder that helped Rekordmeister to evade the press easily. He also could open up a tight defense through his expansive passing range.

Jamal Musiala has a lot to learn to become a box-to-box midfielder, similar to Thiago. The teenager has largely operated as an attacking midfielder for Rekordmeister in the last 18 months. He has an eye for goal, along with solid footwork and close control. Musiala will grow more robust with time, so he can eventually slot in the number eight role.

Nagelsmann has already used Musiala in the center of the park. The German coach deployed Musiala in this role during the last few weeks of Hinrunde. Since Corentin Tolisso, Leon Goretzka, and Joshua Kimmich were ruled out for the final few games of Hinrunde, Nagelsmann paired Musiala with Marc Roca in the central midfield.

With Tolisso expected to leave in the summer and Goretzka struggling with injuries, Musiala could get more opportunities in the midfield. Kimmich can play the role of number six, while Musiala can operate in the number eight role. Musiala is very good on the ball, but he will also have to improve off the ball to become a successful number eight. Nagelsmann has the knack of improving young players, so there are good chances of Musiala becoming a top midfielder under him.

Jamal Musiala is missing tonight’s game against RB Salzburg since he was tested positive for coronavirus. The German midfielder is expected to be back in action later this week when Die Roten hosts Greuther Furth in the Bundesliga on Sunday.