Why Bayern Munich could beat Man Utd and Real Madrid to Julian Nagelsmann

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United and Real Madrid may be on the verge of missing out on hiring Julian Nagelsmann as their next head coach, because Bayern Munich could beat them to the punch. 

The RB Leipzig head coach is the frontrunner to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Zinedine Zidane if their respective clubs decide to replace them at the end of the season. 

However, reports in Germany suggesting that Hansi Flick may step down from his role at Bayern Munich continue to gain momentum. 

Along with constant in-fighting with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, Flick has also become the main contender to replace Jogi Low as the next head coach of the German national team. 

Should Flick step down from Bayern this summer to take up the international role, Nagelsmann would almost certainly become the Munich club’s top priority.

Could Nagelsmann pick Bayern over Man Utd and Madrid?

While Solskjaer currently has Man Utd sitting in a  respectable second place in the Premier League table, the Norwegian manager has struggled to match the standard set by Liverpool and then Manchester City and certainly doesn’t seem to be the man to take the Old Trafford side back to their former glory. 

Indeed, Solskjaer’s contract at Man Utd is set to expire at the end of next season and rather than offer him a long-term extension, the club may instead take this opportunity to appoint a higher quality candidate in the summer. 

READ MORE: Zidane does not rule out Juventus job

Similarly, Zidane could find himself looking for a new employer soon enough if Madrid decide to follow suit and look for a new head coach at the end of the season. 

Although the French head coach has already amassed a remarkable trophy haul in his short managerial career, Zidane’s contract is also set to expire at the end of next season and has struggled to hide his intrigue in life after Madrid, with a recent hint at potentially becoming the next Juventus head coach. 

However, unlike Man Utd and Madrid, Bayern aren’t currently in a state of flux and in desperate need of huge rebuild jobs. And while Nagelsmann may wish to test himself in Spain or England at some point in his career, the Bayern job would certainly offer far more stability and promise of silverware than either of the alternatives at the moment.