Well, that was a fun four months.
Us fans of Bayern Munich thought we had a new star on our hands, with Lennart Karl scoring for fun and breaking records in the Bundesliga and Champions League. But after
what he said at a fan club meeting — that he “definitely” wants to go to Real Madrid at some point, it might be time to move on.
Just so there is no ambiguity, here is what Karl said (captured on video):
A video of Lennart Karl’s statement at the fan club today: “FC Bayern is a very very big club. It’s a dream to play there. But at some point I definitely want to go to Real Madrid. That’s my dream club, but that stays between us [laughs]. Of course, Bayern is something very special and it’s a lot of fun at the club”
🎥@SkySportDE
There are a hundred ways to answer that question, and Karl probably chose the worst one. Yes, he is 17. Yes, footballers are not known for their intelligence. But with that one comment he has sealed a narrative that will follow him for the rest of his career.
If Lennart Karl becomes a star with Bayern Munich, the first reaction will be — “When is he going to Madrid?” He will never truly be an FC Bayern star. This is the same thing that happened to PSG when Kylian Mbappé was there. Everyone knew he wanted Madrid, and the club had to make increasingly desperate attempts to keep him, only to lose him for free in the end.
Lennart Karl cannot be trusted any more. As soon as he enters the final two years of his deal, the rumors around a move to Madrid will swell up. Bayern Munich will always be on the back foot in contract negotiations, having to start them early and make large concessions to keep the player at the table. Because, even if he doesn’t want to go to Madrid, his interest in them is an established factor now. Karl will hold that over Bayern’s heads for the rest of his career.
This would not be the first time a Bayern Munich player has had their head turned by Madrid. Or the second. Or even the third. It happened with Robert Lewandowski, it happened with David Alaba, it happened with Alphonso Davies.
In Lewandowski’s case, an ironclad contract kept him from leaving. Alaba, he went to Madrid and Bayern could do nothing to stop it. As for Davies, Bayern were able to claw their way back (thanks to a sizeable salary increase) and keep the Canadian in the end.
The Karl situation could go the way of Davies — a player who seems Madrid bound, but stays at Bayern because the environment and salary factor comes together to keep him there. The problem is, the club is inherently disadvantaged in this dynamic because of the statement Karl has just made. It leaves no ambiguity as to where his ambitions lie.
This is not to mention the other factors involved here. The sheer disrespect to Bayern, talking about your “dream club” to an assembly of FCB fan club members, cannot be ignored. Even a 17-year-old should have that much sense.
What about his commitment? When it’s a contract year, is he really going to give his all and fight for the shirt? Or does he see the club as a stepping stone in his career? In the end, he’s a footballer, and it’s just a job to him — no one really expects Karl to bleed for the club. He’s not Thomas Müller. But this statement destroys even the pretense of the idea that Karl is a Bayern man. He’s not committed.
If Bayern lets this go, what kind of precedent does it set? You automatically become a feeder club to Real Madrid, then that’s a terrible position to be in. You’ll attract more players like Karl, guys whose final goal is to end up in the Spanish capital and not play for Munich. Once you develop that reputation, it’s hard to get rid of it.
Basically, Bayern Munich need to take the hint and stop investing in Karl’s development. Send him on loan, then maybe sell him while his market value is high. We still have Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise to play his position. It is unfortunate that it had to be this way, because Karl has all the makings of a truly world class player.
It just does not make sense to commit to a player like this after what he just said.
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…
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