Are you watching Pep? Musiala in De Bruyne form amid Man City links

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Mar 2024 16:46 GMT
• 9 min read

Jamal Musiala has been in spectacular form ever since fresh links to Manchester City appeared in the media.

The German wonderkid, viewed as one of the country's best-ever talents, has not had the easiest of seasons. Bayern Munich have struggled this term, which eventually led to them announcing that head coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season.

On a personal level, Musiala has found it difficult to match his stunning production of last season, which saw him singlehandedly win the Bundesliga title for Bayern on the final day of the season. Recently, Rio Ferdinand said of the attacking midfielder: “I love Musiala. We talk about him a lot."

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"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. [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.”

In light of the Man Utd legend's comments, FootballTransfers explained that Musiala would first have to overcome his slump before he could think about winning a Ballon d'Or. Well, the 21-year-old is now back to his best.

Musiala in De Bruyne form

Intriguingly, Musiala bouncing back from his underwhelming form coincided with renewed links with a Premier League transfer. The former Chelsea academy product has made no secret of his intentions of eventually returning to England, though the Blues, in their current state, have little hope of bringing him back.

Instead, the likes of Liverpool and Man City have been heavily linked. However, the former are looking for a new coach and sporting director, with Michael Edwards close to returning in a new role, which casts doubt on their supposed interest. City, on the other hand, could be in the market for a successor to Kevin de Bruyne.

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Talk of De Bruyne being expendable has ramped up in recent times in light of Phil Foden's impressive performances, but it has been claimed that City would nevertheless like to bring in a proper replacement in the event of a sale. Musiala reportedly tops Pep Guardiola's shortlist.

His upturn in form certainly suggests that Musiala is ready for the next step. In Bayern's 8-1 demolition of Mainz, the attacking midfielder notched two assists and a goal. He has contributed to at least one goal in each of Bayern's last four Bundesliga fixtures.

Even when he hasn't scored or assisted lately, such as when the Bavarians hosted Lazio in the Champions League, his contribution has nevertheless been invaluable. His technical ability is second to none and the ball is seemingly glued to his feet.

Comparisons to De Bruyne are inherently flawed because the German international is much more dynamic and much less of a playmaker than his Belgian counterpart, but it is clear for all to see why the 21-year-old is regarded as one of the biggest wonderkids in football.