The five Bayern Munich players who could leave in January

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 5 min read

Bayern Munich often leave their transfer business until the summer, but with the likes of Benjamin Pavard and Ryan Gravenberch making defiant noises of late, there could be more movement than usual at the Allianz Arena this winter…

Bayern may be the record 32-time German champions, but players have forced their way out of the Allianz Arena before now, with Robert Lewandowski's €50 million move to Barcelona last summer a headline-grabbing recent example.

That was nonetheless great money for a 34-year-old, and it would surely take twice that before Bayern would even consider letting go of nascent star Jamal Musiala. The futures of some others are less certain, though. Football Transfers takes a closer look.

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Benjamin Pavard

Pavard is Bayern's first-choice right-back, which may not sound like a negative for anyone in their professional football career, but the Frenchman desperately wants to play centre-back and has little chance of doing so at the Allianz Arena with Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt and Lucas Hernandez in his way.

"I've been in Germany for seven years; I've won everything with the club. I'm not against discovering a new project," Pavard said last month, putting Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona on high alert. "Maybe now's the time. Why not discover a new country, a new culture? But the sporting project must be interesting."

Leroy Sane

Leroy Sane's €49m arrival at Bayern from Manchester City in July 2020 was heralded as a victory for Bayern, if not the wider Bundesliga, for being able to attract an elite level player from the English champions.

READ: Man City’s 10 biggest transfer sale mistakes

But he has only impressed in fits and spurts in Bavaria, and has now fallen behind Musiala, Sadio Mane and arguably Serge Gnabry in the pecking order for a wide attacking berth. Arsenal have been linked with a move as they look for alternatives to Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhailo Mudryk.

Ryan Gravenberch

Ryan Gravenberch reportedly turned down Manchester United before completing a move from Ajax to Bayern last summer, on the promise of a clear path to first-team minutes in Bavaria.

They simply haven't materialised. Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Marcel Sabitzer all play in central midfield more than him, and now Bayern look to have won the race to sign RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer. Tottenham Hotspur have been linked.

Bouna Sarr

Bouna Sarr has no future at Bayern, Julian Nagelsmann's lack of faith in him part of the reason Pavard remains at right-back despite his protestations. That the club bought Noussair Mazraoui alongside Gravenberch from Ajax last summer show how much they trust him.

Bayern's problem is that Sarr is on good money that he might not find anywhere else after 13 Bundesliga appearances across two seasons. They are willing to accept a nominal fee. There are no takers thus far, but a return to France for the former Marseille man seems most likely.

Alexander Nubel

A player already in France - or the French league at least - is Monaco goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, who is most of the way through a two-year loan deal in the principality.

His future at parent club Bayern looks bleak, though. Manuel Neuer broke his leg skiing after Germany's early World Cup exit. Bayern might have recalled Nubel, but instead they are in the market for another No.1, with Dinamo Zagreb's Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic top of their list. Monaco and Spurs could take him full-time.