At FC Bayern, the situation can change completely within just a few months. Alphonso Davies and Min-jae Kim are currently demonstrating this in a particularly striking way. Last summer, both defenders were still considered potential candidates for a trade. Since then, their situations have improved significantly.
Davies’ development has been particularly surprising. After two years in which the Canadian was repeatedly sidelined by injuries, Bayern signed Nathaniel Brown this summer for around 50 million euros to provide new competition for the left side of the defense.
But so far, Davies has come out on top in their head-to-head competition. While Vincent Kompany continues to manage the 25-year-old’s workload, the Bayern coach has recently relied on the Canadian regularly in key matches.
Davies is making an impressive comeback
Davies is once again looking significantly more physically stable and has also made an impact on offense. He already has four points to his credit. In the 5-0 Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt, he also caused a stir with a spectacular goal.
As a result, his situation has turned around within just a few months. Reportedly, Bayern would have been open to a sale this past summer if the right offer had come along. Now Davies is once again showcasing the qualities that once made him one of the most sought-after left-backs in Europe.
At the same time, his form is increasing the competitive pressure on Brown. The summer signing has had to adapt to various roles so far and has even been deployed in the number 10 position under Kompany.
Kim is playing his way back into the spotlight
A similar development is unfolding for Min-jae Kim. After a few inconsistent years, the South Korean was also on the list of potential transfer candidates for quite some time. In the end, he didn’t leave—and Kompany’s trust in him is now paying off.
Kim has shown greater consistency and rotates regularly with Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano. While Tah and Upamecano currently still have the edge in key matches, Kim’s standing with the record champions has clearly improved.
So much so that even a contract extension beyond 2028 is reportedly no longer out of the question. Just a few months ago, such a scenario would have been almost unimaginable.
Davies and Kim are thus among the surprise winners of Bayern’s season so far. Two players who were once expected to leave have once again become serious options for Kompany—and both now have their futures in Munich back in their own hands, at least for the time being.