Bayern Munich are reportedly contemplating whether to make an approach for a Premier League goalkeeper.
Since the 2011-12 campaign, acquiring a first-choice stopper has rarely been a priority for the Bundesliga giants courtesy of the presence of Manuel Neuer.
As many as 529 appearances have been made during that period, with Neuer undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the history of the club.
However, now at the age of 38 and injuries reducing his game time over recent seasons, there is a greater need for Bayern to consider alternatives.
There is already a potential successor at the Allianz Arena in Alexander Nubel, who has impressed on loan at Monaco and his current club Stuttgart.
With a contract extension until 2029 having been penned as recently as April, it is clear that club officials are considering Nubel for the role between the sticks in the long term.
Nevertheless, in four years tied to Bayern, the 28-year-old has made just four senior appearances, and he is unlikely to be interested in becoming a deputy to someone else given the 141 outings that he has made on loan since the start of 2021-22.
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Verbruggen an option for Bayern?
According to Sky Sport Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenburg, who was commenting on X, Nubel is currently viewed as the future number one.
That said, Plettenburg adds that Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is also a name on Bayern's shortlist for the future.
The 22-year-old recently started his second year with the Seagulls, his number of appearances now standing at 33 having been regularly used under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
With a contract in place until 2028, Brighton do not have to consider bids for the Netherlands international if they want to avoid further departures of their key men.
From a financial standpoint, however, the South Coast outfit would be able to make a profit on the £16.3m that they shelled out in 2023.
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Kompany link...
Head coach Vincent Kompany is no stranger to Verbruggen having signed him for Anderlecht in 2020, the then-youngster going on to make 31 outings in all competitions.
Despite being highly-regarded, Verbruggen is still to play more than 21 times in a single domestic campaign, but he has already racked up 15 caps for Netherlands.
Darren Plant
