Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United monitor Lennart Karl amid criticism at Bayern
| Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images |
After an impressive breakthrough campaign at Bayern Munich, Lennart Karl has faced difficulties both on and off the pitch since the start of the 2026/27 season.
The 18-year-old has struggled to rediscover his best form after recovering from the muscle tear that ruled him out of the World Cup. At the same time, his attitude and behaviour off the pitch have recently come under significant criticism from Bayern supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß.
“I plan to have a serious word with him. He is a long way from being a superstar. Young players need humility,” Hoeneß fumed in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
“Comparisons with [Michael] Olise are clearly not doing him any good. There is still a world of difference between them.”
According to Bild's head of football, Christian Falk, Karl's situation has put Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United on alert, with all three Premier League clubs monitoring developments should an opportunity to sign the 18-year-old arise in the future.
“Of course, the Premier League is also reading what is being said in Germany. I heard that Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United saw that there is something going on around Lennart Karl,” Falk said on his website, CF Bayern Insider.
“Ultimately, when there’s a player at the Ballon d ‘Or ceremony who finished fourth in the Men’s Kopa Trophy (behind Warren Zaire-Emery, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal), he’s going to be interesting to other clubs. So calls have been made to ascertain what’s going on with the player and whether anyone’s not totally satisfied with the young German in Munich."
However, despite the difficulties Karl has experienced this season, there is little indication that Bayern have changed their stance on the youngster or no longer see him as part of their long-term plans.
When asked about the 18-year-old's dip in form on Friday, Bayern Munich assistant coach Aaron Danks reaffirmed the club's belief in him.
“I've been a coach for a long time and worked a lot with young players. What Lenny's going through is completely normal. At his age, it's like a rollercoaster with ups and downs. We fully support him and push him. He's done very well in the last two games, also working back. We're calm and believe in him,” Danks said.
Karl is under contract with Bayern until 2029.
