Tom Bischof has what it takes to become Bayern Munich's next great midfield maestro. After the Hoffenheim talent put pen to paper on a deal to join the club in summer 2025, bundesliga.com takes a closer look at his budding game and where he might fit into the Bayern puzzle...

When Bayern won the sextuple in 2020 thanks to triumphs in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, UEFA Champions League, DFL Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, it was Joshua Kimmich and Thiago Alcantara dictating play in the middle of the park - albeit with the latter departing after the initial three successes and therefore playing no part in the others.

In the future, Bayern may have a partnership that can live up to that aforementioned duo's legacy. While defensively strong academy graduate Aleksandar Pavlović has already become a first-team regular at the age of just 20, Bischof - 11 months his junior - will make the switch to Bayern from Hoffenheim in July 2025. By then, Kimmich will be 30, meaning a changing of the guard could be closer than many may think.

Watch: The best of Tom Bischof

Press-resistant, clever and a joy to watch

Despite his tender age, Bischof has already developed into an important member of the Hoffenheim first team. It has not been the best of campaigns for Christian Ilzer's men, but the teenager has stood out, always providing his teammates with an outlet when they are in possession. By positioning himself cleverly in between the lines, he is always available to take control of the ball and keep play moving.

Even when under pressure, Bischof has proven to be adept. He has been closed down no fewer than 249 times this season, a particularly high number for a central midfielder. Only Granit Xhaka (283) has been pressed more often in his position. The Hoffenheim man still has some work to do match the Switzerland captain's level - Xhaka has beaten the press 81 percent of the time - but he has still managed to keep hold of the ball in 65 pecent of such situations. That puts him in the top 10 among Bundesliga central midfielders who have been closed down at least 100 times, although Kimmich is one of those ahead of him with a 76 percent success rate from 187 presses.

Not only is Bischof able to keep Hoffenheim in possession during sticky passages of play, he has also shown that he can cause problems for opposition defences himself. He often appears able to read backlines like a book, finding ways to create chances even in the tightest of areas. The 31 opportunities he has manufactured is a team-high at Hoffenheim, and 12th in the Bundesliga overall. Again, he already finds himself amongst the big boys: Kimmich (44), Xhaka (35) and VfB Stuttgart and Germany ace Angelo Stiller are the only central midfielders above him. Meanwhile, only a handful of more offensive players rank higher. "My creativity can help the team," Bischof told Hoffenheim's in-house media prior to the start of the season, and it seems his prophecy has come true.

Watch: Tom Bischof signs for Bayern

About the players

6

Joshua Walter

Kimmich

FC Bayern München

7

Tom

Bischof

TSG Hoffenheim

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

Bayern's future playmaker?

All in all, Bischof is a midfielder who makes things happen and is always involved. Another of his qualities that have shone at the PreZero Arena is his passing consistency. He has attempted 719 passes this term, which is fifth among Bundesliga midfielders who have not also played at centre-back at some point, completing a solid 83.9 percent.

The youngster is often present in half-spaces around the final third, from where he can receive the ball into feet and move it on quickly. When the opposition sit back in low blocks, it is Bischof who grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and is in charge of finding a way through. In that sense, he is similar to Kimmich, who also takes up the more offensive responsibilities in a double-pivot and pops up in the same areas. Also, thanks to his accurate left-foot, Bischof is Hoffenheim's go-to set-piece taker. His first direct free-kick ended up in the back of the net, while his corners are usually dangerous. On the one hand, Kimmich could be his competition in that area at Bayern, but given he is right-footed, the two could work well in tandem.

All of this points to Bischof ultimately becoming the ex-RB Leipzig man's successor. With Kimmich's contract currently set to run out in the summer, it is not year clear whether that will be immediately or in the years to come. Should an extension be agreed, though, the two could initially line up alongside each other and, while that may mean one or both would need to step onto the field with a more defensive mindset, they have both shown they are impressive performers out of possession, too.

Besides his talent on the ball, Bischof has not shied away from his defensive duties. Covering an average 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometres) per 90 minutes, he certainly has stamina, and is not to be underestimated in the tackle. He has competed in 339 duels this season in the German top flight - 16th overall - and has won 54 percent of them. Only three players have been involved in more duels with a better win ratio, two of whom are central defenders. As such, deploying both Kimmich and Bischof in the middle of the park would be risky, but not without its advantages, especially in situations when Bayern are in need of a goal.

Watch: Joshua Kimmich nominated for December 2024 Player of the Month

More than just next in line after Kimmich

Although he has a similar profile to Kimmich, Bischof also brings something different to the table. While the Germany international started off in the middle of the park before being transformed into a world-class right-back by Pep Guardiola and subsequently returning to his initial role, Bischof played further up the pitch at youth level before dropping deeper professionally.

For Hoffenheim's U19s, he operated chiefly as a right winger and in the hole behind the striker, picking up 12 goals and 10 assists in just 22 Bundesliga games. Then, after making the step up to the club's second string in the Southwest Regionalliga, he was used solely in the number 10 role and contributed to nine strikes (five goals, four assists) in 19 outings.

With Andrej Kramarić still performing in his favourite position, there was no choice but to first make use of Bischof elsewhere, but dropping further back has helped to round his game. Also, he will be able to feature for Bayern in numerous roles, which makes him even more valuable and would also give him the opportunity to play should Kimmich still be around.

"Tom is a special player who has incredible potential," said Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl on the transfer's announcement, while his sporting director Christoph Freund called him "one of the most exciting talents in Germany. He is a leader who, despite being just 19 years of age, has plenty of experience under his belt in the Bundesliga."

With comments like those, you would expect Bischof to be Bayern's playmaker for years to come.

About the clubs

FC Bayern München

Allianz Arena