While FC Bayern underlined their commanding lead in the standings on Sunday, planning beyond the end of the season is still in full swing. What will happen with Niklas Süle and Corentin Tolisso?
As is well known, both players’ contracts expire at the end of the season and their futures are accordingly unresolved – but both cases are different.
Because those responsible around head coach Julian Nagelsmann and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic have long since made Süle an offer of continued employment, which takes into account his performance and past with two cruciate ligament tears in a corresponding salary over five years. An agreement is currently not in sight, but for the time being the aim is to calm the personnel situation – unlike in the case of David Alaba, there is therefore no ultimatum after which the record champions would withdraw their offer.
If the 26-year-old international, who has recently been linked with Newcastle United, were to turn down Bayern’s offer, the club would probably accept this decision without major renegotiations. Especially as the Munich side have two alternatives in focus in Andreas Christensen (25, formerly of Gladbach), who was offered to the champions back in December, and Antonio Rüdiger (28, formerly of Stuttgart). The Chelsea defenders’ contracts expire at the end of the season and both know the Bundesliga. However, FC Bayern is currently not on the verge of concluding a contract with any of the players.
Tolisso must above all be consistently convincing
The starting position for Tolisso, meanwhile, is different. The Frenchman, who came to Säbener Straße in 2017 for a transfer fee of €41.5 million, recently delivered convincing performances again, such as in the 4:1 in Berlin. However, this has not yet completely changed the opinion of the squad planners, rather the French World Cup winner, who has been plagued by injuries time and again, must confirm his rise in form and find consistency – only then could the 27-year-old possibly have a future at the FCB beyond the end of the season.
The Munich club have already set their sights on a possible Tolisso replacement in central midfield: Denis Zakaria’s contract at Borussia Mönchengladbach expires at the end of the season – and the Swiss has already confirmed he wants to leave the Foals.
