Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller almost missed most of his career in Bavaria.
Müller was tempted a few times by what looked to be better opportunities in the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
Under Jürgen Klinsmann, Müller almost made the move to Hoffenheim. Then, when Louis van Gaal took the reins at Manchester United
, he wanted to bring Müller to England.“Right at the beginning, after my first professional appearance on the first match day of the 2008/2009 season. After that, I noticed that the coach
at the time [Klinsmann] didn’t know what to do with me. I was ambitious and had played a great first half of the season in the third division for the second team,” Müller told Der Spiegel (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “During the winter break, TSG Hoffenheim really wanted me. At the time, they were an up-and-coming team, top of the Bundesliga table, level on points with Bayern. But they only had four attacking players. I would probably have played a lot. I decided to stay anyway.”
Müller also thought about leaving the club back in 2019 during Niko Kovač’s tumultuous tenure.
“I also considered a transfer in autumn 2019 under Niko Kovač,” Müller said. “I told the club [in 2019] that if my situation didn’t change, I would like to look into the option of a transfer in winter. I was too impatient to play the role of substitute. The club’s response was that we would talk again in December. That didn’t happen.”
So...why was Müller always scanning the field for a move? Well, let’s just say that stardom was not always a certainty at Bayern Munich.
“Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said that my technique and my dribbling are average and that I’m not particularly fast. He’s not wrong. I would never have been at the top of the athletics club. But that’s exactly what helped me. Because others were more athletic, I had to be creative throughout my youth, otherwise I would never have made it to the professional level,” Müller said. “There are players who are so fast that when they were young they put the ball past their opponents and are gone. They don’t have to find another solution. But as soon as they get to the professional level, the defenders are just as fast as they are. Then they have a problem.”
With a move for Hugo Ekitiké getting close, the reality is that Bayern Munich is likely going to get Luis Diaz…whether fans like it or not. Bayern Munich has reportedly also exited talks with VfB Stuttgart to focus on a deal for Diaz. It might also just be time for Bayern Munich to rip off the band-aid and sell Kim Min-jae, João Palhinha, and Sacha Boey. Finally, we have a note on Bayer Leverkusen’s CEO and his recent slam on Bayern. You can get all of that and more on the latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show! The podcast is available on Patreon, Acast, Spotify, any major distributor, or below:
More from bavarianfootballworks.com:
- A forgettable international match day for all Bayern Munich players involved
- Czech Republic vs Germany lineup, discussion: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup Qualifiers online
- ‘What about Thomas Müller?' Support pours in for Bayern Munich's troubled icon
- BFW Transfer Deadline Day 2017 live thread
- Kingsley Coman confident of his part in Bayern Munich’s plans this season
- Report: Renato Sanches set for loan move to Swansea
- Would this guy be the perfect backup for Robert Lewandowski?
