From Bayern gem to benchwarmer: Aznou plan falls flat | OneFootball

Former Bayern talent Adam Aznou transferred to FC Everton last summer to gain more playing time. Instead, he is just sitting on the bench there—while Bayern is struggling with left-back issues.

The left-back concerns at FC Bayern have reached absurd levels this season. Alphonso Davies is out with an ACL injury, Hiroki Ito is dealing with a metatarsal fracture, Raphael Guerreiro is struggling with abdominal muscle problems, and Josip Stanisic was recently injured against FC Chelsea.

Coach Vincent Kompany even had to improvise during the 4-1 win in Hoffenheim: Konrad Laimer, usually at home in midfield or on the right, moved to the left defense side.

Ironically, in this situation, someone who could greatly help Bayern's squad is sitting on the bench in England. Adam Aznou left Munich in the summer hoping for more playing time—but things aren't going well at FC Everton so far.

From Campus Jewel to Benchwarmer

Photo: IMAGO

The now 19-year-old joined Bayern's campus from Barcelona's youth academy in 2020 and debuted last season for both the FCB professionals and Morocco's national team. After a loan to Real Valladolid, Aznou also demanded more playing time in Munich—publicly and unequivocally. "I want to play," he hinted at the Club World Cup, where he was used for just eight minutes.

To not jeopardize his chances for the Africa Cup and the 2026 World Cup, he pushed for a transfer. Bayern reluctantly let him go: Aznou transferred to Everton for nine million euros, with the German record champion securing a matching right for future transfers. "We regret that there could not be a further path together with Adam," explained sports director Max Eberl at the time.

No Place in Everton's Plans

Yet Aznou is still waiting for his first official match minute in Liverpool. Two brief appearances in the preseason have been the peak so far. He was not in the squad for the first two Premier League games and then had to sit out due to injury. When he was finally in the squad on matchday 4 against Aston Villa, coach David Moyes preferred to rely on midfielder James Garner in the left defensive lineup—even though regular Vitaliy Mykolenko was injured.

Aznou was also left out during the derby against FC Liverpool. Mykolenko started again, and when he had to leave the field due to injury, it wasn't Aznou who came on, but Carlos Alcaraz. It's a bitter pill for the youngster, who recently even played for Everton's U21 in the EFL Trophy.

Particularly bitter: National coach Walid Regragui also left out the left-back during the World Cup qualification matches in September. For Aznou, this means that instead of the international stage and Premier League, it's currently a reserve role in the second row.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.