Bayern Munich was heavily criticized going into the 2025/26 season thanks to a lack of squad depth. The attack in particular was widely viewed as being too thin; Max Eberl even admitted as much after Bayern’s late 3-2 victory against Augsburg in September.
It seems as if Eberl and co. have learned from past mistakes coming into the 2026/27 season — but maybe not in the way you think.
After signing Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown, the Bayern roster is full of life once again. While it may not look
like it compared to teams like PSG, Arsenal, and Manchester City—who boast seemingly limitless depth—Bayern’s priority on versatility makes their squad deeper than first meets the eye. Brown is the perfect example.
The 23-year-old traditionally plies his trade at left-back but has also been deployed as a right-back and left-midfielder. Playing three separate positions can already be considered versatile, but according to Kicker’s Georg Holzner (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Eberl believes there is another role Brown could fill.
In addition to his main role as full-back, Nathaniel Brown is also viewed as a backup option in midfield (Max Eberl mentioned in the press release that he will expand the options in defense and midfield). That’s also why the club is likely to sanction the sale of Noël Aséko to Eintracht Frankfurt.
BFW Analysis
The midfield is one area of the pitch that could be considered light on personnel, especially after the departures of Leon Goretzka and Raphaël Guerreiro. That leaves only Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Tom Bischof as true options in the engine room. But the signings of Saibari and Brown may solve that issue.
While neither are dedicated central-midfielders, they can both provide cover there in a pinch.
Saibari has previously filled that role for PSV, while Brown often drifted into central spaces for Eintracht Frankfurt, demonstrating his exceptional quality on the ball and press resistance.
Would it be ideal to sign another midfielder? Sure. Do Bayern have the finances to make it happen? Probably not.
Therefore, deploying Brown in the midfield from time to time isn’t the worst idea. It serves as a creative way to plug multiple holes in Bayern’s squad with one transfer.
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