Vincent Kompany is keen to use his newfound wealth at Bayern Munich to make a move for one of his former side’s stars this summer, with the Manchester City icon having identified a defender as a priority signing this summer.
Kompany makes shock switch
After suffering relegation with Burnley in a Premier League season in which his side won just five games, a move to Bayern Munich was not what anyone expected for Vincent Kompany this summer.
The Belgian boss, who was previously at Anderlecht and who helped Burnley out of the Championship last season, has been endorsed by Pep Guardiola but struggled to get results at Turf Moor, leaving his side sliding back into England’s second tier just 12 months after leaving it.
That prompted Bayern, who have missed out on a whole host of managers this summer, to come knocking as they look to reverse the Bayer Leverkusen dominance that they suffered this season and that ultimately left them trophyless.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It’s a great honour to be able to work for this club – FC Bayern is an institution in international football”, Kompany said when he was unveiled by the Bavarian giants.
Now, he is already getting stuck in and has reportedly identified his priority signings, including one from former club Manchester City.
Man City star on Kompany’s radar
That comes in the shape of one time teammate John Stones, who has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad this season.
Suffering an injury-hit campaign, the Englishman made just 12 Premier League starts and was an unused substitute on a further 11 occasions, a dramatic fall from grace from his starring role in the treble winning campaign the year before.
Though he still has two years left to run on his £250,000 a week deal in Manchester, the Englishman has reportedly been considering his options, and may now have been given a way out.
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John Stones 22/23 vs 23/24 |
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| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
| Appearances | 23 | 16 |
| Starts | 21 | 12 |
| Total minutes played | 1848 | 1063 |
| % of total minutes played | 54% | 31% |
| Games missed through injury | 8 | 7 |
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Stats provided by Transfermarkt |
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That is because reports from Spain claim that Kompany has made Stones his “priority” this summer as he looks to leave his mark on Bayern, and he believes that Stones’ versatility would make him a “valuable” signing.
The pair know each other well, having played together for several years at the Etihad, and Kompany has been full of praise for his former defensive partner in the past.
“I’ve always said John is one of the most talented defenders. He’s got such a bright future”, the Belgian explained in 2019. “He’s just a top-class defender. If now he gets to play games things will sort themselves out, no doubt.”
With Kim Min-Jae having flattered to deceive at the Allianz Arena, and Dayot Upamecano still error-prone, Bayern have been forced to turn to emergency signing Eric Dier more often than not at the heart of their defence, and though the Englishman has produced some excellent performances, his deficiencies are well known.
Stones would certainly elevate the Bayern backline, though it is unclear whether the club would be willing to pay the fee that City would surely demand for the Englishman this summer.
