Arsenal fans and the rest of the football community alike watched in horror as Jamal Musiala suffered a broken ankle on Saturday at the FIFA Club World Cup.
A challenge from Gianluigi Donnarumma led the Bayern Munich No.10 to scream out in agony after his foot was trapped between the Italian and the pitch, and the severity of the issue looks set to rule the Germany international out for much of the 2025/26 campaign.
As a result, we feel Bayern Munich could now decide to provide Arsenal with genuine competition in the race to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, amidst recent links.
Bayern Munich could now rival Arsenal for Eberechi Eze
It was ESPN who recently claimed that Bayern Munich are monitoring the England international this summer, as Vincent Kompany considers a move.
The Bavarians already had an elite central attacking midfielder in Musiala, so interest had not progressed beyond initial admiration, unlike Arsenal, who are set to bid for Eze with personal terms not expected to be an issue.
Now, however, there is a distinct lack of quality in that No.10 area after his serious injury, a hole Bayern Munich need to fill if they are to enjoy a productive 2025/26 campaign.
There are several reasons why an approach from Bayern Munich should unnerve Mikel Arteta.
For one, the German giants can afford to trigger Eze’s £68m release clause – especially as Crystal Palace are open to that sum being paid in instalments – and can also offer the Londoner a strong chance of winning silverware.
Not only that, but his close friend Michael Olise is already at the Allianz Arena after swapping Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, who Kompany could deploy to try and convince his pal to make the switch as well.
Arsenal need to speed up regardless
Regardless of any potential swoop from Bayern Munich, Arsenal need to accelerate this deal if they are serious about signing the 27-year-old.
Pre-season begins soon, with Arsenal scheduled to play AC Milan in Singapore on July 23rd, and as of now, Kepa Arrizabalaga is the only new arrival.
Any other recruits will need time to settle in and adjust to playing alongside their teammates in Arteta’s tactical setup, so the sooner a bid is submitted for Eze the better.