Chelsea are reportedly set to battle Manchester City for the acquisition of Bayern Munich wonderkid Jamal Musiala.
The Germany International is undoubtedly one of the most promising young talents in European football after breaking into Bayern’s first team when he became the club’s youngest-ever Bundesliga debutant at age 17 years and 115 days old.
The attacking midfielder originally rose from the Chelsea academy ranks before he headed to Germany five years ago and has established himself as one of Bayern’s top talents.
However, according to reports, Chelsea are now willing to bring Jamal Musiala back to Stamford Bridge, with Man City also said to be interested in signing the 21-year-old star midfielder.
The Stuttgart-born player spent eight years in Chelsea’s academy after joining from Southampton and is now a key part of Bayern’s starting XI and the German national team.
In recent times, Chelsea have let a lot of academy graduates and young players depart the club, while the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah have both gone on to have outstanding careers after they departed from Stamford Bridge.
History has repeated itself once more, on Musiala, but the Blues are hoping to amend that by bringing him back to the club. The Blues will now face competition for the target’s signature, but it seems they’re preparing to hijack any potential deal.
The 21-year-old current contract with Bayern Munich runs until the summer of 2026 and his acquisition would likely cost any perceived buyer an enormous amount due to his importance to the Bundesliga powerhouse.
The Premier League sides could look to take advantage of Bayern’s current circumstances with team manager Thomas Tuchel departing at the end of the season and the club’s 11-year run of winning the Bundesliga title being brought to an end by Bayer Leverkusen.
Musiala is likely to play a key part in the club’s ongoing Champions League campaign, with Bayern through to the competition’s semi-final after eliminating Arsenal on Wednesday, April 17.
Man City are thought to be leading the race for his signature as manager Pep Guardiola looks to reinforce his squad with further summer signings.
The Cityzens have previously invested in young talents and are expected to do so again given the previous exits of wide player Cole Palmer who opted to join Chelsea last year.
Musiala has scored 12 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions for Bayern this season and will play a starring role in Germany’s upcoming European Championship campaign.
Therefore, Manchester City feel he is the perfect option to provide more creativity to their attack.
He previously was a regular in England’s youth ranks before choosing to represent Germany at international level after making two appearances for the Three Lions’ Under-21 team.
Who is Jamal Musiala?
Musiala was born on 26 February 2003. He is a professional football player who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Bayern Munich and the German national team.
Jamal Musiala upbringing
Musiala was born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a German mother. He was raised from the age of seven in England.
The 21-year-old played for both Germany and England national teams at the youth level, and eventually pledged his allegiance to the German Football Association for future games in February 2021, representing the side at Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Jamal Musiala Career
Musiala left Chelsea to join Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in July 2019, at age 16. He made his professional debut on June 3, 2020, coming on as a substitute for Bayern Munich II.
He made his Bundesliga debut against SC Freiburg on June 20, 2020, and he became the youngest player to play a match for Bayern in the Bundesliga at age 17 years and 115 days.
Musiala was a part of the Bayern squad that won the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League, although he did not make any appearances in the tournament.
In November 2020, Musiala was called up to the England U21 squad for the first time for their 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches.
After choosing to represent England’s U21s, the German Football Association indicated that they had stopped pursuing Musiala.
On 24 February 2021, Musiala announced he had decided to represent his birth nation Germany at the international level. He subsequently received his first call-up to the senior team for the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in March 2021, making his debut on 25 March 2021 as a 79th-minute substitute in a 3–0 win against Iceland.
Musiala style of play
As a versatile player, Musiala plays both on the wings and in all positions of the midfield. He’s known for his incredible dribbling ability. He is considered to be one of the best young players in the world.
Jamal Musiala honors
The 21-year-old has won several collective and individual accolades with Bayern Munich. In 2019/2020 season, he was part of the German team that won the Bundesliga, DFL Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
His individual honors include IFFHS Men’s Youth (U20) World Team, 2022 Bundesliga Rookie of the Month, Bundesliga Goal of the Month, March 2024, Bundesliga Team of the Season, 2022–23.
Jamal Musiala stats
The midfielder has represented Bayern in 36 games scoring 12 goals and dishing out seven assists.
Jamal Musiala’s contract and salary
Musiala reportedly earns £150,000 per week and has a contract with Bayern that runs until the summer of 2026.
What’s next for Jamal Musiala?
It remains to be seen if the 21-year-old versatile midfielder will secure a move to the Premier League having already rejected a new contract at Bayern. In addition, he’ll be seen next in action on Saturday, April 20 when Bayern lock horns against Union Berlin at 5:30 WAT.
