With the news that Niklas Süle has rejected a new deal at Bayern Munich, the German defender will be available on a free transfer come the summer. The 26-year-old, who joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2017, has been an ever present in the Bundesliga, picking up the league title every season since he’s been there and was a stalwart in the treble-winning side under Hansi Flick. However, when talks of a new contract emerged, Süle opted out of signing on with the Bavarians despite starting 18 of the 20 league games this season.
It’s looking increasingly likely Julian Nagelsmann will lose one of his key defenders on either a cut price deal or completely free after the towering centre back rejected a £160,000-per-week salary. With plenty of keen suitors it will be interesting to see where Süle ends up. Read on, as we look at a few of the clubs he has been linked with and how he would fit into their plans next summer.
Chelsea
Chelsea are another club enduring something of a centre back crisis come the end of the campaign. Still the current European champions, Thomas Tuchel’s side have flattered to deceive so far this season and look less likely to compete for the Premier League with each passing week. Thiago Silva will be 38 soon, while Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen have both expressed their desire to leave. Süle’s arrival could steady the ship in west London and provide some much-needed experience in terms of winning silverware and boosting their chances for the title while betting online.
He would surely be one of the first names on the team sheet and having a number of German compatriots, including Tuchel in the dugout, would make his integration period almost seamless. With the World Cup on the horizon, Süle will want to put his name forward as a starter for Germany and if moving teams is what it takes then Chelsea looks like an ideal destination.
Real Madrid
When Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane both departed Real Madrid in the summer, the situation looked desolate for Carlo Ancelotti in his second stint at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, the signing of David Alaba from Bayern, whom the Italian had previously worked with, has ensured Real are sitting top of La Liga at the time of writing. You only need to look at how well Alaba has settled in to realise Süle could follow suit and become a Los Blancos regular as well. Madrid are hardly strapped for cash and could afford his wages, and competing for the Champions League on a more regular basis could be the extra incentive Süle needs to make the switch.
Paris Saint Germain
Although Paris Saint-Germain already have an abundance of solid defenders, having Süle on the books at the Parc des Princes provides Mauricio Pochettino with more options tactically. PSG have already demonstrated they know how to work a free transfer, with Lionel Messi, Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum all arriving in the French capital for freelast summer, and with Süle in the side, they can either operate in a back three or push Marquinhos into midfield. It still remains to be seen whether the Parisians can go all the way in the Champions League, but with the Ligue 1 title already wrapped up and more of an inevitability than anything, adding some more trophies to his cabinet would be easy enough if Süle was to make the move to the City of Love.