The chosen one to be Neuer's heir
The Bavarian Giant wants to sign a top-level goalkeeper for the short term.
Bayern Munich has chosen Oliver Baumann, goalkeeper and captain of Hoffenheim, as the appointed heir to Manuel Neuer. The main objective of the Bavarian Giant is to sign a top-level goalkeeper who can make a difference in the short term.
As revealed by the channel Sky Sport Germany, the Bavarian board is looking for a goalkeeper with proven hierarchy in the domestic league to serve as the second-choice behind the young Jonas Urbig, who is preparing to take on the starting role following the transition at the Allianz Arena.
🚨🧤EXCL | Oliver Baumann is currently FC Bayern’s preferred solution for the summer, based on his profile. Jonas Urbig is set to become the new No. 1, with an experienced GK wanted as a back-up. No contact with any of the candidates yet. Further internal meetings are planned. Baumann faces a choice between joining Bayern or chasing the Bundesliga appearance record of 603 games. That could be possible if he plays every game and, for example, signs a further contract with Hoffenheim until 2029. @SkySportDE 🇩🇪
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 9, 2026
Baumann's historic dilemma and Hoffenheim's counteroffer until 2029
A move to the Munich club would place the veteran goalkeeper at a sporting crossroads. Accepting the secondary role in Vincent Kompany's scheme would almost certainly require him to forgo the challenge of becoming the player with the most matches in Bundesliga history, a record held by Karl-Heinz 'Charly' Körbel with 602 official matches.
With over five hundred league matches behind him, Baumann is numerically positioned to reach that milestone if he maintains his status as a starter in the upcoming campaigns.
Aware of Bayern's interest, TSG Hoffenheim is preparing a contract extension proposal for one additional year, valid until June 2029, guaranteeing him the institutional protection and the necessary minutes to surpass Körbel's legendary record.
Although Bayern has not yet opened formal negotiations with the management in Sinsheim, Baumann's technical characteristics, leadership, and tactical reliability fit perfectly into the internal discussions of the Munich sports management.
Bernd Leno emerges as a preferred alternative from the Premier League
If Baumann chooses to stay at the PreZero Arena, Bayern's sports commission is considering a second strong candidate: Bernd Leno, aged 34, currently at Fulham FC in the Premier League. The German goalkeeper is pleased with the idea of moving to Munich, would accept the proposed role in the squad, and positively values the geographical proximity to Stuttgart, his birthplace.
However, his signing would involve overcoming two financial hurdles. Fulham retained an option to extend his contract in London until June 2028, which would require negotiating a compensation transfer fee, alongside one of the highest salary caps among the candidates considered by the German giant. The Bayern Munich executive management will continue technical assessment rounds over the coming months to define their roadmap in goal before the summer period of 2027 begins.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El elegido para ser el heredero de Neuer