Jamal Musiala's next destination seems obvious amid Man City, Liverpool & Chelsea interest

Of the Bundesliga’s biggest stars could well be on his way to the Premier League, according to a report from The Daily Star – Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala has supposedly rejected a new contract offer from his club and Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all on high alert. But will he really leave Bavaria, and where should he go if he does?

Musiala, who was at Chelsea’s academy before moving to Germany in 2019, has scored 30 goals and registered 19 assists for the perennial German champions since breaking through into the first team in 2020, and has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting young forwards in the world along the way – but as Bayern find themselves struggling for the first time in many years, it seems that he is being tempted by a move back to England.

Bayern have reportedly offered him an extension which would increase his wage packet to €150,000 (£130,000) per week, around fifty percent more than what he earns now, but Musiala has turned it down. It could simply be that he believes he is worth more than that, but it may also be that the chance to play in the Premier League, alongside the likely departure of Alphonso Davies, who is apparently one of Musiala’s closest friends in the squad, are causing him to consider a change of scenery.

If Musiala can’t agree a new deal at Bayern, or simply doesn’t wish to, he’ll have several options – but how would he fit in at each of the three Premier League clubs allegedly interested in him?

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s side “head the queue” for Musiala, according to The Daily Star, although it isn’t clear what the basis for that claim is beyond the club’s immense success in recent seasons. If Musiala’s main motivation is to win trophies, it will certainly be well served at the Etihad.

His skillset also lines up well with the kind of players that Guardiola loves to sign and develop. He has impeccable technique, an excellent first touch, solid passing and the ability to beat his man at pace. That would mesh beautifully with City’s style – when they play keep-ball, he has the qualities to move the ball around quickly without losing possession, and he has the extra dimension offered by the capacity to take defenders on. Guardiola may be noted more for his passing schemes, but he has always valued players like Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish who can break the lines with the ball at their feet.

He could also operate in several positions which match the way City currently play. A versatile player who can operate either as an inside forward or as a number ten, he could play wide left, which seems to be a position that's up for grabs at the moment, in the hybrid forward/midfielder role that Julian Álvarez plays, and could even operate as a number ten if and when Kevin de Bruyne departs, although Musiala doesn’t have the kind of playmaking and direct passing skills that the Belgian has.

It’s hard to come up with arguments against City. They have the money and the willingness to spend it, and if Musiala is motivated by cold, hard cash then he will likely get much more than £130,000 per week there. They offer a very good chance of silverware and a tactical set-up which should suit him. The claim that they are at the head of the queue is logical, even if it isn’t sourced.

Liverpool

The current league leaders are about to undergo a period of transition. Jürgen Klopp is leaving and young players are gradually supplanting older hands. Mohamed Salah may well leave this summer if the Saudi Pro League returns with another colossal offer. Musiala would be the perfect replacement in many ways – he’s a goalscorer and provider who can stretch defences at speed – but Liverpool have a somewhat uncertain future.

They will still be heading into their new era with the core of a strong squad, but there is no way to know how the post-Klopp era will go. They may well win plenty, but they are less of a sure thing than City – and their owners are not typically in the business of putting their hands too deeply into their pockets.

Musiala’s contract still runs until 2026 so while Bayern will need to sell this summer to get top dollar, they aren’t over a barrel and won’t be bullied into selling one of their star players on the cheap. Liverpool’s owners have shied away from huge deals in the past, so it would go against the grain for them to break the bank for Musiala – and while it’s too early to say what Bayern want for him, it would surely be closing in on £100m at the very least.

A huge windfall for Salah could change the tune, of course, but it would otherwise be a mild surprise if Liverpool were willing to go toe-to-toe with a club like City in terms of outlay.

Chelsea

Just as it’s hard to come up with strong arguments against signing for Manchester City, it’s tough to come up with good reasons for a player like Musiala to go to Chelsea under current circumstances.

Musiala would get star status at a club like Chelsea to an extent he might not at City, who have a plethora of world-class players, and they’d probably find the money to make it worth Musiala’s worthwhile, but they look a very long way from challenging consistently for trophies as it stands.

Tactically, he’d be a good fit for them at least. The way they’ve used Cole Palmer – often nominally as a wide forward but with a brief to come inside to positions a number ten might take up as the wing-back overlaps to stretch the field – would suit Musiala’s game to a tee.

Chelsea would love to have Musiala, and they wouldn’t have to rewrite the playbook to fit him in – but unless Musiala is motivated solely by money, the only edge Chelsea have over the competition is the fact that he came through their academy, and so he may plausibly call Stamford Bridge a home of sorts. Any attachment he may have didn’t stop him from moving on five years ago, however.

All told, The Daily Star is probably right – City and Musiala look like a perfect fit, but plenty of other clubs will make their pitches. Real Madrid are perhaps the only big and wealthy club in the world who don’t have an obvious role for him to fill, assuming they sign Kylian Mbappé. If Musiala doesn’t agree to extend his stay in Bavaria, expect a bidding war, but don’t be surprised if City come out on top.