Where are they now? The 12 signings Julian Nagelsmann made at Bayern Munich

Julian Nagelsmann lasted just under two seasons at Bayern Munich. During that time he helped maintain their run of Bundesliga dominance but was sacked in March 2023 after a string of iffy results and suggestions of unrest in the dressing room.

The wunderkind of German football coaching had recently been rumoured to make a return to the Bayern dugout, with his successor Thomas Tuchel set to leave his post at the end of the season, but he’s recently signed an extended contract with the German national team.

But what kind of legacy did Nagelsmann leave at the Allianz Arena in terms of recruitment? We’ve checked in on the 12 players that Bayern brought in during his relatively short-lived tenure.

Omar Richards

The first recruit of the Nagelsmann era, highly-rated youngster Omar Richards joined Bayern in the summer of 2021 after catching the eye with Reading in the Championship.

It was hoped that the England Under-21 international left-back would follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho and develop his game over in Germany, but he found game time limited and never really kicked on.

After just five Bundesliga starts, Richards returned to England the following summer, signing for newly-promoted Nottingham Forest for a reported €8.5million fee.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that move ever happened, because a broken leg injury has kept him from ever appearing for Forest. He’s currently out on loan at Olympiakos, where he’s only made a couple of starts.

Sven Ulreich

The ‘keeper had served as Manuel Neuer’s back-up for five years before joining Hamburg in 2020. He then spent one season down in the German second tier before rejoining Bayern the following summer.

Ulreich has made 31 appearances in his second stint and featured regularly in the opening months of this season while Neuer remained sidelined.

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Dayot Upamecano

The France international had established a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young full-backs working under Nagelsmann at Leipzig. As such, it was no surprise to see him become the coach’s first big-money signing.

Upamecano has had his moments over the past couple of years but there’s an argument that he hasn’t quite lived up to his billing – as evidenced by finding himself benched by Eric Dier in recent weeks.

Noussair Mazraoui

Ajax academy graduate Mazraoui provided further defensive reinforcements in Nagelsmann’s first summer.

He hasn’t quite nailed down a spot in Bayern’s first-choice XI, having started fewer than half their matches since he arrived, but he’s proven a useful enough addition to the squad – as evidenced by his solid display up against Bukayo Saka in their recent Champions League victory over Arsenal.

Sadio Mane

Rated as one of the finest forwards in football during his time as a star player for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Mane joined Bayern in search of a fresh challenge in 2022.

This was the same summer that Robert Lewandowski departed the club and there was real hope that the Senegalese could replace him as their talismanic match-winner.

But it just didn’t happen for him. The most notable thing Mane did during his year at Bayern was come to blows with team-mate Leroy Sane. Symptomatic of a dysfunctional team, it was no surprise that Bayern cut their losses when Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr came calling last summer.

Mane has 17 goals and nine assists in a supporting role for Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

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Ryan Gravenberch

A former team-mate of Mazraoui’s at Erik ten Hag’s Ajax, Gravenberch was among their most highly-rated prospects when he made the inevitable switch to one of Europe’s glamour clubs last summer.

But the Dutch midfielder found himself frustrated by the lack of gametime and pushed for a move to Liverpool last summer. He remains a squad player at Anfield but has featured a little more often for Jurgen Klopp’s title chasers this season.

Matthijs De Ligt

Juventus broke the bank to sign the Dutch defender in 2019, after he’d looked a potentially generation-defining talent in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.

He won silverware in Italy and spent three years with the Old Lady but got itchy feet and was eventually sold at a small loss – albeit becoming Nagelsmann’s all-time most expensive signing at an €80million fee.

“First of all, the club,” De Ligt explained ESPN on why he joined.

“The board showed me they really wanted me, that says a lot because it’s important for me. The club suits me: attacking football, hard training, high intensity. That’s what I’m looking for.

“I knew about the coach [Julian Nagelsmann] before because he’s a famous coach in the football world. I know how he plays and that he’s really good in training young players. That’s good, but the most important thing was the confidence that the club had in me.”

Bayern have had their defensive issues in recent times but De Ligt still has Thomas Tuchel’s trust.

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Mathys Tel

The forward was just 17 and was yet to score a senior goal when Bayern shelled out €28million to sign him from Rennes.

Tel is still just 18 and has moved ahead of the considerably older, more experienced Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting ahead of the pecking order when it comes to a supplementary role behind Harry Kane.

Tuchel has faced some criticism for not playing the young Frenchman enough, but he’s scored nine goals this season and looks a talented prospect. Something to work with for whoever takes over in the summer.

Daley Blind

A stop-gap signing in January 2023, former Manchester United defender Blind joined Bayern in January 2023 as a free agent after terminating his contract with boyhood club Ajax.

The Dutchman only made a handful of appearances during his half-season stint and soon moved on to Girona. He’s proven an inspired addition for the La Liga upstarts, who spent the first half of the season gifting us Europe’s most unlikely title challenge this side of Leverkusen.

Girona have fallen away in recent weeks but they still appear set to punch well above their weight and qualify for the Champions League.

Yann Sommer

Another stop-gap, Sommer was bought from Borussia Monchengladbach after Neuer’s shock ski accident left him sidelined for the latter half of the 2022-23 campaign.

The experienced Switzerland international played his part in Bayern pipping Dortmund to the Bundesliga title and has promptly moved on to Inter, where he’s done exceptionally as Andre Onana’s replacement. Smashing all kinds of clean sheet records as the Nerazzurri march to the Scudetto.

Joao Cancelo

The third player brought in to save Bayern’s season after his falling out with ex-Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, Cancelo spent the crunch months of Manchester City’s treble charge away from his parent club. That must sting.

Cancelo remains contracted to City after not doing quite enough at Bayern for them to make his loan permanent. He’s since been loaned out to Barcelona, but looks set to end this year trophyless with Xavi’s side.

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