Ballon d'Or or Bundesliga tax: What next for Chelsea & Liverpool target Musiala?

Tom Weber

• Updated: 16 Feb 2024 19:23 GMT
• 4 min read

Rio Ferdinand has tipped Jamal Musiala to eventually win a Ballon d'Or, but the truth is that the youngster is not having a good season.

Bayern Munich are a club in turmoil and have been for much of the season despite their comfortable progression from the Champions League group stage prior to the winter break. Indeed, things haven't really gone smoothly for several big-name Bayern players this term.

While the likes of Harry Kane and Leroy Sane have done well on a personal level, Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Kimmich have been frequently in the headlines. A player who, strangely, hasn't really been the subject of discussion or criticism is Jamal Musiala, but the 20-year-old is not having a particularly impressive campaign.

Regarded as one of German football's biggest-ever talents, the wonderkid has not really been the standout performer you would expect him to be. There have been rumours that Thomas Tuchel does not really favour him and Musiala has had to deal with two short-term injuries, but when he has played, he has, on the whole, been fairly disappointing by his high standards.

Musiala outshone by Wirtz

The former Chelsea academy star has certainly not enjoyed anything remotely like the terrific campaign that Florian Wirtz is currently having. The two are very similar players and it has been the Bayer Leverkusen star who has stolen the spotlight this term.

Musiala's return of seven goals and three assists in all competitions is respectable but ultimately nothing special. It is not the kind of production you would expect from a player who was recently tipped by Rio Ferdinand to eventually win a Ballon d'Or.

“I love Musiala. We talk about him a lot. I don’t know where his ceiling is. It’s nice to see the comments from his teammates saying how diligent he is and how much of a professional he is," Ferdinand said.

"[Leon] Goretzka says he might be the best talent Germany have ever had. The way he moves and glides with the ball. I see a Ballon d’Or at some point in his career if he fulfils that potential.”

Musiala's talent is undeniable and so is his work rate, but the attacking midfielder has not consistently been the kind of game-changer he was last season when he recorded 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 Bundesliga outings.

Given his English roots, Musiala has frequently been touted to eventually move to the Premier League, with the player himself admitting that he would love to play in England. Chelsea and Liverpool are clubs that have been occasionally linked with the youngster.

However, the way he's been playing this season, one can't help but have some lingering doubts about whether he is ready for that step at this point. Before he can think about winning a Ballon d'Or, he needs to make sure not to become a victim of the dreaded Bundesliga tax even if it is a somewhat silly concept.