At 38, Manuel Neuer is still the Bayern Munich captain and remains one of the world’s most feared goalkeepers in big matches, which he reminded everyone during last year’s Champions League campaign.
The legendary German shot-stopper is the greatest goalkeeper of all time, renowned for his reflexes, strong hands, sweeper actions, and ludicrous skill with the ball at his feet.
Neuer started 23 matches for Bayern Munich last season and has started five games in the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, but his play is declining sharply statistically. He saved just two-thirds of the shots he faced last season and is down to a 50/50 save percentage in the 2024/25 campaign.
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany, while Bayern Munich still intend to give Alexander Nubel the key’s to the kingdom next season or in 2026/27, depending on when Neuer retires, the club is also looking at other alternatives in goal.
Bayern are said to be monitoring Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, a former Belgian league standout who was actually on Schalke‘s radar in the 2019/20 season when Nubel, then the Royal Blues’ captain, left for Bayern for free in the winter.
Verbruggen is even better now and is impressing in the Premier League, as he saved 72.5 percent of the shots he faced during his first full Premier League season in 2023/24.
Within the Bundesliga, Bayern are also keeping an eye on FC Koln keeper Jonas Urbig, who is just 21 years old and is known as one of the most promising goalkeeping talents in German football.
With save percentages below 70, Urbig is still far from the finished product, but he is someone worth watching develop over the next two years.
That said, it’s clear that Nubel has earned the right to get the first crack at replacing Neuer, whenever that time comes. He has fought hard on loan in Ligue 1 for Monaco, becoming one of the best keepers in French football before returning to the Bundesliga with Champions League side Stuttgart.
