Bayern turn to academy pathway alongside stars to match Premier League heavyweights | OneFootball

Bayern Munich are doubling down on their academy to keep pace with Premier League wealth, with 17-year-old winger Lennart Karl emblematic of the shift. The club want a sustainable mix of homegrown prospects and headline signings.

Recent outlays on Harry Kane (€100m), Luis Diaz (€65m), Michael Olise (€53m) and Kim Min-jae (€42m) underline ambition, but the financial arms race in England is forcing a rethink. According to L'Équipe, Bayern view the future as a blend of international stars and graduates from their Campus.

Internally, Karl is seen as a powerful signal of that pathway. Jan-Christian Dreesen says the winger’s breakthrough, seven goals in 23 matches, is energising the academy and showing youngsters that the route to the first team is real.

Vincent Kompany has also turned to Wisdom Mike, five cameos, and Cassiano Kiala, one, and plans next season to involve loanees Arijon Ibrahimovic at Heidenheim and Jonah Kusi-Asare at Fulham. Stefan Effenberg calls this the ideal approach, arguing Bayern cannot match English spending, so creativity through the Campus is essential.

About a third of Kompany’s preferred XI is already academy-produced, including Jamal Musiala, Josip Stanisic and Aleksandar Pavlovic, with Karl waiting in the wings. Elite recruits will still arrive, but more club-trained players will get opportunities. Dreesen adds that without their own talents, Bayern will have no future at the highest level.

Source: L'Équipe