Bayern Munich loan watch: 8 future stars shining in the Bundesliga and abroad
Toni Kroos made his breakthrough at Bayer Leverkusen, Phillip Lahm at VfB Stuttgart and David Alaba at Hoffenheim: Bayern Munich have a successful past when it comes to sending players on loan with a view to becoming the club's next stars. And with Paul Wanner and Alexander Nübel among eight players currently at other clubs, we take a look at how they're getting on.
Paul Wanner
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfield
On loan at: Heidenheim
Starting with a goal and assist in his league debut for Heidenheim, Wanner has quickly established himself as a regular under Frank Schmidt, starting all nine of their Bundesliga games.
Famously Bayern’s youngest-ever player when he debuted at 16 years and 15 days in 2022, the now-18-year-old is no longer a prospect and looks ready to be a top flight regular.
Watch: Paul Wanner - making waves at Heidenheim
In all competitions Wanner has five goals and two assists, leading to some big praise from Heidenheim CEO Holger Sanwald. "We didn't know that he would do things like this now that he's 18,” he said. “I'm so happy and think he's one of the greatest talents we have in German football.”
So impressive has Wanner been that both Austria and Germany are fighting over him. A Germany youth international who was born in Austria, the country’s coach, Ralf Rangnick, commented in November: "I am in regular contact with Paul, and had a long phone call with him two weeks ago.” The man who gave him his Bayern debut, Julian Nagelsmann, is fighting just as hard, though, saying: “He is firmly in our plans.”
Alexander Nübel
Age: 28
Position: Goalkeeper
On loan at: VfB Stuttgart
Nübel is in his fourth season on loan from Bayern since his 2020 move to Munich from Schalke. Having spent his first two years away as Monaco’s No.1 in Ligue 1, the 28-year-old quickly made the Stuttgart starting berth his own too.
In his first campaign Nübel backstopped Stuttgart to a runners-up Bundesliga finish ahead of parent club Bayern and he quickly went from a potential star to one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. Responding to his displays, in April Bayern handed the Paderborn native a new long-term contract until 2029, which includes two more years at Stuttgart.
Watch: Sky's the limit for Alexander Nübel
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After an impressive start to the current campaign, Nübel has since made his Germany debut, and shown he’s more than ready to step in for Manuel Neuer for both club and country when the legendary shot-stopper hangs up his gloves.
Bryan Zaragoza
Age: 23
Position: Left winger
On loan at: Osasuna
Initially signed for the 2024/25 season, Zaragoza arrived ahead of schedule in January 2024 as a response to a long-term Kingsley Coman injury, but the Spaniard struggled for minutes, only featuring seven times in the run-in under Thomas Tuchel.
Watch: Bayern unveil Bryan Zaragoza
Back in his home country on-loan at Osasuna, the former Granada man has shown how effective he can be with regular minutes, recording a goal and five assists already this season.
Zaragoza’s form has not only seen Osasuna become La Liga’s surprise package this season, but he’s also been rewarded with a return to the Spanish national team, giving Bayern plenty of hope that he’ll be ready to go upon his return to Munich.
Armindo Sieb
Age: 21
Position: Forward
On loan at: Mainz
Much like Wanner, Sieb has instantly become a regular at Mainz and featured in all 11 of their games so far this season, scoring twice in important wins over St. Pauli and Augsburg.
Watch: St. Pauli 0-3 Mainz – highlights
Having joined Bayern in 2020 from Hoffenheim's youth academy, Sieb graduated to the first team with a single appearance, but has spent the majority of his career on loan, initially with Greuther Fürth.
He enhanced his reputation there across two seasons between 2022 and 2024, contributing 16 goals in 63 Bundesliga 2 appearances. If he can get close to those numbers with Mainz in the top flight, Bayern will be keen to bring him home as soon as possible.
Gabriel Vidović
Age: 20
Position: Left winger
On loan at: Mainz
Another Bayern loanee at Mainz, Germany-born Croatia international Vidović debuted in the Bundesliga in 2022 but has since enjoyed impressive goalscoring stints at Vitesse in the Netherlands and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Now back in Germany, game time has been hard to come by for the 20-year-old attacker, who has only played 48 minutes in the Bundesliga so far this term, but he’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the remainder of the campaign.
Lovro Zvonarek
Age: 19
Position: Attacking midfield
On loan at: Sturm Graz
Joining Austrian champions Sturm Graz at the start of 2024/25, Zvonarek could have had some legitimate fears about game time for such a well-oiled team, but Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund was confident, saying: “He’s a very exciting player who has everything he needs to make it in professional football.”
Freund has been proven right. Zvonarek has featured in 17 out of a potential 19 games to date and shown he’s more than ready for the big time.
Watch: Zvonarek's first Bundesliga goal on Matchday 33 in 2023/24
Despite being mainly a sub, the Croatia U21 scored his first goal in October - a matchwinner against LASK, and then added his second a game later. Having already scored for Bayern in his five appearances, hitting the net against Wolfsburg near the end of last season, there’s no doubt that the 19-year-old is ready for senior football.
Frans Krätzig
Age: 21
Position: Left-back
On loan at: Stuttgart
Looking at the 2023/24 Bundesliga table, Krätzig actually made a step up to second-place Stuttgart, but sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth was confident he was ready, saying: “We are convinced that he has the footballing skills and the mentality to make the long-term leap to becoming a Bundesliga player.”
The 21-year-old left-back made his professional debut for Bayern last season and scored a goal in his seven appearances in all competitions - even featuring in the UEFA Champions League - before a loan to Austria Wien for the second half of the campaign.
Minutes haven’t been so easy to come by for the Germany U21 in Stuttgart, but with master talent developer Sebastian Hoeneß watching over him, Kratzig is certainly in the right place to keep progressing.
Gibson Adu
Age: 16
Position: Forward
On loan at: SpVgg Unterhaching
The youngest goalscorer in the history of Germany’s third division, surpassing Jamal Musiala and David Alaba, 16-year-old Gibson Adu was snapped up by Bayern from SpVgg Unterhaching in summer 2024 and instantly sent back on loan.
A striker with bags of potential, Adu is by far the youngest player on this list, and likely has the longest wait to make it at Bayern. With just four appearances this season, Munich’s bosses will be keeping a careful eye on how he progresses.
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