After 17 years of extraordinary service, Thomas Müller is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season when his contract expires in June.
Müller is one of the highest earners at the club, and has been gradually replaced by younger talent like Jamal Musiala over recent seasons. He has still contributed greatly to the team during that period, but less so than before, and at the age of 35, no longer in his pomp, Bayern see little value in extending Müller’s stay due to the high financial outlay it will necessitate.
It is unclear whether there will be any sort of short-term deal which would see Müller as part of Bayern’s squad for the revamped Club World Cup in America this summer. Similarly, with Müller approaching retirement age, it remains to be seen whether he will sign with another club, or retire as a one club man, an increasingly rare phenomenon.
Müller’s Bayern career has been phenomenal. Since establishing himself under Louis Van Gaal, Müller has been indispensable – manager’s success or failure at the club has often hinged on their ability to get the best out of him. It is no coincidence that the two coaches who used him most effectively, Jupp Heynckes and Hansi Flick, were the two under whom Bayern won the Champions League during Müller’s career.
Alongside his two Champions Leagues, which were part of trebles, Müller collected six German Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, two Club World Cups, and, should Bayern win the Bundesliga this year, Müller would add to his record twelve German League Titles.
Müller has racked up 746 appearances for Bayern at the time of writing, scoring 248 goals, which places him third on the list of the club’s all-time top scorers. His 57 goals in the Champions League make him the sixth highest scorer in that competition too.
With his World Cup-winning international career at an end, and his Bayern career coming to a close too, one of the sport’s most glittering careers looks to be winding down. Never the most glamorous, Müller proves, perhaps more than anyone, the value of intelligence in football, and his leaving Bayern gives us an opportunity to celebrate one of the modern game’s greats.
Photo Credits: “Thomas Muller pelo Bayen” by 史莱克 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.