FC Bayern Munich, News and Rumours: Unexpected DFB call-up! FCB star reportedly receives a surprise invitation from Julian Nagelsmann

National team manager Julian Nagelsmann has, somewhat surprisingly, named Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jonas Urbig in the squad for the upcoming international matches at the end of March.

According to matching reports from Sky and Bild, Urbig is set to be included in the German senior national team squad for the first time. Nagelsmann will officially announce his squad on Thursday afternoon (2 pm).

Although Urbig was unable to confirm the news – which is very welcome for him – on Wednesday evening following the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atalanta Bergamo, he did at least hint at his first call-up: “I haven’t checked my mobile yet. I was told something earlier, but I haven’t looked yet,” Urbig said when asked by DAZN.

Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl explained that the 22-year-old had more than earned a nomination thanks to his recent strong performances: “If Julian is nominated tomorrow and names like that appear, then we’ll be delighted. I don’t even know who said it from our side, but: if you put in performances like that at FC Bayern Munich, the national team isn’t far off.”

Urbig is likely to take on the role of third-choice goalkeeper for the DFB, behind first-choice keeper Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim) and second-choice Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart). Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen, whom Nagelsmann had recently named as third-choice keeper for three consecutive matches, is reportedly only to be included on standby this time.

Urbig is Bayern’s number two behind Manuel Neuer, but has recently been playing frequently due to injury problems affecting the former German national goalkeeper. The 22-year-old has used these appearances to impress Nagelsmann. Across all competitions, Urbig – who has played a total of 22 international youth matches for Germany from U17 to U21 level – has made 13 appearances so far this season.

Alongside Urbig, another Bayern professional, the highly-rated Lennart Karl, is also set to make his debut for the DFB squad. Germany face Switzerland in Basel on 27 March, before taking on Ghana in a friendly in Stuttgart three days later.

FC Bayern Munich has apparently exercised the buy-back option for the talented midfielder Noel Aseko, who is currently on loan at second-tier side Hannover 96. This is according to Sky.

According to the report, whilst Hannover will exercise the purchase option for one million euros, FCB will immediately activate the agreed buy-back clause of 2.5 million euros. This means that 1.5 million euros will go to 96 for Aseko’s return to Munich.

According to Sky, Aseko stands a chance of taking the squad place vacated by Leon Goretzka, who, as is well known, is leaving FCB when his contract expires in the summer. The 20-year-old is said to be the top internal candidate to succeed Goretzka, and the record champions could build their plans around him should no external replacement be signed.

Bayern’s manager Vincent Kompany is said to be a fan of Aseko, who trained regularly under the Belgian with the FCB first team before his loan move to Hannover (he has been playing for the Lower Saxony side since early February 2025). The German U21 international is having a very strong season in the 2. Bundesliga with 96, and according to Sky, those in charge in Munich fundamentally believe he is capable of succeeding Goretzka. Another point in Aseko’s favour is that he can also be deployed as a right-back and could therefore take on a similar role to Tom Bischof, who was signed from Hoffenheim last summer. Bischof arrived primarily as a central midfielder but often plays as a left-back for FCB.

Aseko, who moved from Hertha BSC to Bayern’s youth academy in 2022, is under contract at Säbener Straße until 2028. He has made 25 second-division appearances for Hannover so far this season, scoring three goals and providing five assists.

Should Bayern decide to bring in an external successor to Goretzka after all, Aseko could also be sold in the summer, according to Sky. There would certainly be no shortage of interested parties; after all, renowned clubs from abroad, such as Villarreal or Brighton & Hove Albion, are reportedly knocking on the central midfielder’s door.

Bayern Munich’s attacking talent Wisdom Mike has successfully undergone surgery following his serious hip muscle injury.

The 17-year-old flew specially to Turku in Finland for the operation. There, he was treated by Dr Lasse Lempainen, who has built up a reputation in football circles as an expert in the treatment of muscle injuries.

German star goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen also underwent surgery by Dr Lempainen in early February for his thigh injury. The Finnish orthopaedic surgeon works particularly closely with FC Barcelona, the home club of ter Stegen, who is currently on loan at FC Girona.

Mike is likely to be sidelined for around four months due to his injury, meaning the season is over for the youngster. The German youth international made five brief appearances for Bayern’s first team in the 2025/26 season; otherwise, he mostly played for the FCB’s U19s (eleven games, three goals).

Bayern legend Franck Ribéry is currently working towards a career in coaching.

“I want to become a coach, and I’m studying for it,” the long-serving FCB professional told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. Ribery already holds the UEFA A and B licences, and is currently attending a course for the UEFA Pro licence in Coverciano, the Italian Football Federation’s training centre south-east of Florence.

His ultimate goal is to one day "coach in Italy, a country I love," said Ribéry, who played a total of 425 matches for Bayern between 2007 and 2019. The Frenchman spent the final years of his career in Italy – first at AC Florence (2019 to 2021) and then at US Salernitana, where he ended his playing career in October 2022.

It was at Salernitana that Ribery took his first steps into coaching. Immediately after retiring, the 42-year-old joined the club – now in Italy’s third tier – as a technical coach, remaining in that role until March 2024.

Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz has praised his teammate Jamal Musiala.

In a video posted by Post United, Diaz is asked to name his favourite player from five different countries. For his home country, the Colombian names former Bayern star James Rodriguez; for Spain, Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona); for Argentina, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami); and for Mexico, former Manchester United and Leverkusen striker Chicharito. Finally, when asked about his favourite German player, Diaz’s choice falls on his Bayern teammate Musiala.

And this despite the fact that he has not yet seen the 23-year-old in top form up close. Before Diaz moved from Liverpool FC to Munich last summer, Musiala had, as is well known, suffered a serious injury at the Club World Cup. He was sidelined for six months and had been gradually brought back into the fold since mid-January, before suffering a setback last week in the Champions League match against Atalanta Bergamo and therefore currently having to sit out again. As a precautionary measure, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has decided to leave Musiala out of the upcoming friendlies at the end of March.

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