Leon Goretzka’s contract at Bayern Munich is expiring in the summer and there are no signs of a renewal on the way. With that in mind, it seems there will be a spot in midfield open by next season for someone to fill. Could that someone be Noël Aséko Nkili?
The German youngster has been on loan at Hannover 96 since January of 2025, first integrating himself at the club through the U-23s in the 3. Liga in the latter half of the 2024/25 season before exploding on to the scene in the 2025/26 season.
The all action midfielder has been one of Die Roten‘s key players so far, playing in nearly every game as the club chases promotion to the Bundesliga, living up to his potential, staying injury free and integrating himself as one of the key members of head coach Christian Titz’s pressing system.
Ergo Tz reports, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, that Bayern are considering bringing the former Hertha BSC player back:
Bayern are considering bringing back midfielder Noël Aséko Nkili to the club in the summer. Hannover have an option to buy of €1m for the 20-year old, while Bayern have a buy-back clause in the low single-digit million sum. Aséko has impressed during his loan spell, and internally at Bayern he’s described as a ‘physical monster’.
A physical monster Nkili is indeed, though that physicality has been severely hampered over the years by numerous injuries at the Bayern Campus. His injury free time- so far- at Hannover is certainly a relief and a hopeful sign that he has left his injury worries in the past, but it is noticeable that he rarely completes 90 minutes at Hannover. It could be minute management to prevent an injury or he could just be gassed before the final whistle is blown.
That is certainly an issue for Bayern to keep an eye on, but for such a small sum it would be silly not bring Nkili back to Munich.
