Lennart Karl is one of FC Bayern’s most promising young players. Nevertheless, the Munich club has not yet discussed a new contract with the youngster.
Lennart Karl has long since outgrown his role as a young prospect at FC Bayern. The 18-year-old has now made 45 competitive appearances for the Munich club, scoring ten goals and setting up nine more. Most recently, the winger even made his debut for the German national team under Jürgen Klopp.
This makes it all the more surprising that Bayern’s management has yet to get specific about Karl’s long-term future. According to information from Sport BILD, the club’s leadership—including sporting director Max Eberl and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen—has not yet held talks with either Karl or his agent, Michael Ballack, regarding a further contract extension.
There is no immediate time pressure, however. Karl’s development contract automatically converted to a professional contract on his 18th birthday and was extended through 2029. Nevertheless, the youngster is among the players whose future plans at FC Bayern are likely to play an important role in the coming months.
One reason for the hesitation so far apparently lies in the situation on the right wing. There, Michael Olise is firmly established under Vincent Kompany. The Munich club wants to keep the Frenchman long-term and, according to Sport BILD, plans to offer him a new contract through 2032 once talks with Harry Kane are concluded. Olise is expected to eventually move into the salary bracket of the absolute top earners, alongside Kane and Jamal Musiala.
Olise plays a crucial role in Karl’s future
For Karl, Olise’s situation is directly linked to his own prospects. If the Frenchman signs a long-term extension in Munich, his path to a starting spot on the right wing is likely to be blocked for the foreseeable future. Moving into the center would also be difficult, as Musiala is firmly established there.
That is precisely why Bayern apparently wants to first clarify its major contract issues. Extending Kane’s contract remains the top priority at the moment. After that, the focus is expected to shift more toward Olise and Karl.
Just how highly Bayern values the youngster in the long term could also become apparent financially. Karl is reportedly earning around two million euros per year. If the club were to entrust him with the role of first-choice right winger in the future, he could, according to Sport BILD, move up to a salary bracket ranging from ten to 14 million euros annually.
For this reason, too, the player’s athletic prospects are likely to be at least as important as his salary in the upcoming talks. Top international clubs already have their eyes on Karl. Real Madrid has been keeping an eye on the Bayern talent for some time now. Karl even completed a tryout with Los Blancos at the age of ten and stated during a fan club visit earlier this year: “At some point, I definitely want to go to Real Madrid. That’s my dream club.”
There’s still no immediate cause for concern for FC Bayern. Karl’s contract runs through 2029, and the youngster has continued to develop with the first team. The key question, however, will be what role the Munich club can offer him in the coming years.
At the latest after the negotiations with Kane and Olise, things are likely to start moving forward for Karl as well. Then Bayern will have to decide whether to secure their rising star to a long-term contract early on—while at the same time offering him a clear path to becoming a regular starter.