It is no secret that Bayern Munich attacker Lennart Karl has not exactly gotten off to a great start this season. After suffering an injury last summer, Karl has been slow to round into form. However, Bild is reporting that some at the club are not simply pointing to the injury as the reason for Karl’s lack of progress.
BuLiNews.com captured the report:
According to Bild, the 18-year-old’s dip in form is not being blamed solely on the muscle tear he suffered over the summer, with concerns also reportedly
growing over his off-the-pitch activities.
The German tabloid reports that Bayern’s hierarchy are unhappy with how Karl presents himself on social media, believing he shares too much of “his glamorous lifestyle and his private life with his influencer girlfriend, Zoe Käppele.”
As a result, the club has reportedly urged the teenager to spend less time on Instagram and focus more on his performances on the pitch, hoping that can help him improve his performances.
BFW Analysis
Maybe Karl’s off-the-field life is a distraction, but that is hard for anyone on the outside to quantify. What is not hard to determine is that there is a marked dip in Karl’s game. His lack of off-the-ball movement is a massive issue, his on-the-field confidence seems to have waned, and the youngster just does not seem like he is playing with any energy or hunger — two key traits that propelled him to be a vital player for the Bavarians last season.
In a lot of ways, Karl seems entitled. The 18-year-old often appears content to sit on the right wing, wait for a pass, and — if he cannot immediately beat a defender with a cut-in — resort to lateral and backward passes that have not always connected.
It is not yet time for “crisis mode,” but it is concerning. Is this all too much, too soon for Karl? Did the injury take a bigger toll than anyone has realized? Is he just not as willing to put in the work? Or… is Bayern Munich’s concern about his off-the-field life warranted?
For us, it is too early to tell, but it is clear that this report — if true — indicates that Bayern Munich is having its patience tested by its young star.
If there was ever a time for Karl to pick up his play, it is now.
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