Lennart Karl has been the story of the season thus far at Bayern Munich. And probably across Europe.
The 17-year-old phenom has stormed onto the scene, making a strong impact during every appearance and
putting the world on notice. So much so that his market value has skyrocketed from a paltry €1.5 million in June 2025 to an insane €60 million as of December 2025 (Transfermarkt). That is unprecedented for a 6-month period.
While this is fantastic news for Bayern Munich and Vincent Kompany, it might not be so great for the club’s other two attacking midfielders, who would have to now compete with this monster of a talent for minutes.
Yes, I am talking about Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala.
And yes, Jamal Musiala may need to change his position.
A new kid on the block
Lennart Karl is currently contributing a goal/assist every 87 minutes this season. That is a goal or assist every game, an absurd statistic for a player who was clocking in for the youth side just months ago. Moreover, his contributions to the stat sheet and his impact on the playmaking and goalscoring have become more pronounced after Kompany moved him to the #10 spot, a move that is doing wonders for the club.
Initially starting as a right winger, Karl impressed with his acceleration, nifty footwork, trickery, and eye for goal. However, he didn’t quite provide the impact that a certain other player, who happens to be the best right winger in the world, provides on a consistent basis. Michael Olise pushed him to the middle, and rightly so.
Olise is the bonafide starter at RW, and he simply happens to be a better winger. That is no slight on Karl… Lamine Yamal would not bench Olise at Bayern Munich.
There is another reason for this move, and it is a tactical one. In the middle, Karl will be in the thick of the action, can utilize his one-touch passing to devastating effect, and is closer to the goal. Plain and simple. You want a player as direct as Karl to be as close to the goal as possible. And the stats reflect the same.
As a #10, Karl ranks in the top 1-2 percentile in touches, shot attempts, and goals scored (Fotmob, all-time adjusted). And guess what? Not only does he attempt a lot of shots, but 43% of them have been on target, which tells us that these are high-quality shots. His passing has been sublime, with an insane pass completion rate of 87.1%, with 4.5 progressive passes per 90 and 2 successful take-ons every game.
So yes, he is making a huge impact, and his qualities are bolstered in this role. Lennart Karl can thrive as the primary conductor of the offense.
The OG kid
Jamal Musiala was HIM before Karl.
Actually, he still is. It’s just that after an extended spell on the sidelines recovering from a nasty injury, Musiala might not be able to waltz right into the lineup anyway. And even if he does, it probably won’t be at attacking midfield.
Jamal Musiala, another Bayern academy product who made the jump to the first team, started out as a winger during Thomas Müller’s twilight years at Bayern. It was perfect—Musiala combining beautifully with Davies on the left wing and using his dribbling to devastating effect, taking on defenders fearlessly. Before we knew it, however, he was suddenly Müller’s heir in attacking midfield, with the club then focusing on a phase-out of the legend in an attempt to incorporate Musiala as the new orchestrator.
Maybe it was the coaches; maybe it was Musiala himself wishing to play in the middle. There is no denying that he was great in the role, but was it ever his best position? The player’s incessant dribbling down the middle sometimes led to turnovers, and the attack slowed down on other occasions as a result of Musiala’s propensity to keep the ball, a skill that would’ve flourished on the wings.
Musiala’s versatility has always been a wonderful asset. Perhaps he should split his time between both positions. However, Lennart Karl becoming a consistent fixture in the starting 11 could signal Musiala’s imminent move back to LW. A move that could further solidify Bayern’s attack as Europe’s scariest.
Spicy wings
Luis Diaz is quick, pacey, productive, and a defensive workhorse. So why, then, would Musiala need to be pushed out wide?
Well, for the following reasons. For starters, Diaz and Olise might get run into the ground if they started every game. Diaz also seems prone to the occasional rash challenge or a card accumulation, which might result in suspensions, and Bayern struggled in his absence. Musiala already has an established connection with Davies, which would undoubtedly help both players shake off their rust.
And most importantly, from a tactical perspective, Musiala is a different wing threat. He is a superb exploiter of half-spaces and is also comfortable out wide. He is cut out for this role and could thrive in an area that would enable him to encounter 1v1 situations, which is the kind of scenario he’s suited to. Nobody wants to defend Musiala 1v1. It would also be less demanding on him physically, especially since the center is usually more crowded with defenders. All this needs to be considered when easing an injured player back into the team.
Finally, his dribbling won’t hurt the attack from this position. He could cut inside with the ball or send in a cross. He could even cut it back to Karl for a shot. There are way more options for Musiala out wide. Perhaps he was never meant to be the primary attacking midfielder anyway. It is time for him to return to the position promised as the Mussiah of the wings. This would also allow Gnabry to continue being the backup AM, the only role he is remotely useful in.
A wing rotation of Diaz, Musiala, and Olise? Yes, please.
And that leaves Karl as the man in the middle.
In an ESPN post-game interview, Jürgen Klinsmann admitted that Karl reminded him of Thomas Müller in that he “always knew where the ball would drop.” While their styles and physical attributes may be completely different, the directness, the vision, and the spatial awareness make Karl the closest Müller-type AM in the squad.
Maybe that means that in the near future, we might get to hear the phrase “Lennart Karl always plays.”
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
