He is "particularly impressed": is Bayern set for another coup?

Vincent Kompany

A deal for Ismael Saibari is expected to be announced shortly. An agreement has reportedly already been reached with Nathaniel Brown. Moreover, FC Bayern are said to be in pole position for a third target player.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter Milan centre-back Yann Bisseck is now edging towards a move to the German record champions. According to the report, the 25-year-old centre-back is flattered by FCB's interest and is "particularly taken with the idea of playing as a first-team regular in the Bundesliga for the first time, and in a team that is also aiming for the Champions League", the report states.

However, a move to Munich may prove difficult at first. Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah form an extremely solid centre-back partnership, one that Min-Jae Kim previously struggled to break into, forcing him to settle for a place on the bench. 

The South Korean is also the key to a potential move for Bisseck to Munich. Only if Kim leaves Bayern in the summer—generating transfer revenue and freeing up a squad place—is it realistic that Bayern will get serious in the race for the Inter defender. According to consistent media reports, Kim—like Hiroki Ito—is permitted to leave if a suitable offer materialises. A fee of at least €30 million is reportedly being demanded, while Ito could depart for €20 million. Kim is said to have already given Juventus Turin his word on a move.

Competition is equally fierce at right-back, Bisseck's potential backup role. Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanisic have emerged as the season's secret winners, alternating on the left and right of the back four but with Laimer occupying right-back for most of his outings and delivering arguably his best campaign in a Munich shirt. The Austrian's contract runs until 2027, and after some early friction, talks on an extension are now reportedly progressing smoothly.

Yann Bisseck Sassuolo Inter Serie A

Will Bisseck finally make his mark in the national team following his move to FC Bayern?

In other words: Bisseck's ambition to become a first-team regular in Munich is noteworthy. Yet he recently proved his ability to thrive under pressure at Inter Milan. After Simone Inzaghi was replaced by Cristian Chivu, the Cologne-born centre-back began the Serie A campaign on the sidelines, watching seven of the first eight games from the bench. He did, however, continue to feature regularly in the Champions League. 

By late October, however, he had turned the tide, slotteng himself into Inter's back three alongside Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni. The trio helped the Nerazzurri secure the Scudetto and Coppa Italia double. Despite his club success, Julian Nagelsmann left him out of Germany's World Cup squad, preferring Malick Thiaw of Newcastle United for the final centre-back berth.

Having missed the World Cup, a return to Germany could now be appealing: it would put him back on the radar of the national coach and offer a clearer path to regular international duty (he has one cap so far). 

Germany U21 v France U21 - International Friendly

FC Bayern and Bisseck: Could a long-time confidant hold the key to a major transfer coup?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, manager Chivu does not want to lose Bisseck, especially as the German centre-back's role is set to grow with the imminent departures of Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian. Chivu rates Bisseck very highly, but Inter still hope to raise funds to reinforce their defence. 

According to Gazzetta, Inter have already identified two replacements: Sassuolo's Tarik Muharemovic, a Juventus youth graduate tipped for stardom, and Udinese's Oumar Solet, long linked with the Nerazzurri. 

Both targets are valued at around €50m, so Inter would listen to bids starting at €40m for Bisseck should he request to leave. His recent switch to agent Giovanni Branchini suggests he has already expressed such a wish to Milan's hierarchy. 

Branchini is well known at Bayern and has brokered several deals for the German record champions. His most famous coup was Pep Guardiola's move to FCB in 2013, when Guardiola's camp brought him in as an intermediary. He also played a role in Leroy Sané's 2020 move from Manchester City and is seen in Munich as a confidant of the powerful supervisory board led by Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Nevertheless, sources close to the club say serious talks are unlikely to start soon, much like previous approaches for Ismael Saibari of PSV Eindhoven and Nathaniel Brown of Eintracht Frankfurt. Bisseck himself has recently stated that, after the season, he just wants to "switch off for now" before deciding on his future.