In his first six months in Munich, Bryan Zaragoza rarely got a chance to play. As the prospect of playing time has not improved under Vincent Kompany either, he is set to gain match practice at CA Osasuna in the coming season
Bryan Zaragoza was only supposed to join FC Bayern this summer – at least that was the plan when the signing of the winger from Granada FC was announced on St. Nicholas Day 2023. However, after Kingsley Coman ruptured his medial collateral ligament in January, FCB returned to the negotiating table due to a shortage of personnel and agreed a loan deal with the Spaniards in the winter in addition to the €13 million transfer in the summer, for which Munich paid a further €4 million.
However, this premature move hardly paid off. Despite the injuries to Coman and Serge Gnabry, Zaragoza hardly got a chance under Thomas Tuchel and only made one appearance in the starting eleven. The left winger also made six substitute appearances, but failed to score. He scored six goals in 21 appearances for promoted Granada, who were relegated at the end of the season
Hardly any prospect of match practice in Munich
Even under new coach Vincent Kompany, the prospects of playing time for the 1.64-meter man did not improve. On the contrary: Bayern signed another competitor in Micheal Olise. Accordingly, sporting director Max Eberl explained during the trip to South Korea that the club was “considering giving him match practice”, as he could “have a harder time” in the upcoming season
This plan has now been put into practice. Zaragoza will return to the Spanish La Liga, where he will join CA Osasuna for a year. The club from Pamplona, who finished eleventh in the pre-season, will pay 250,000 euros for the loan, according to the club. The deal explicitly does not include a purchase option.
“Bryan’s focus is on the clear goal of playing an important role at FC Bayern,” explained sporting director Christoph Freund: “He has all the qualities to do so. We are convinced that this season will help him progress in his home country of Spain. He now needs a lot of games at a high competitive level, and CA Osasuna is a very good place for that.”
There, the pacey dribbler should build on his old performances and recommend himself for the following season in Munich. This is his clear goal, as Eberl emphasized in South Korea. “I want to develop further, I want to become a Bayern player,” Zaragoza is said to have told those responsible. He will continue this development in his home country of Spain for the time being.