Bayern Munich have been offered VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow, 31, in a move pitched squarely at their long-term reserve problem behind Jonas Urbig. Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg first broke the approach on 19 October 2026, with the two parties said to have had an initial exchange.
The pitch leans on Bayern’s goalkeeper future rather than their present. Manuel Neuer, 40, remains the first-choice, but Urbig, 23, is being groomed as his heir. The club has told anyone who will listen that it wants an experienced number two who can accept that pecking order, and Bredlow is willing to play the role.
A contract clause complicates the free transfer
Bredlow’s deal with Stuttgart runs through the end of the 2026-27 season, which would make him a free agent next summer. The complication is a clause that would automatically extend his contract once he reaches a set number of appearances, and head coach Sebastian Hoeneß is giving him minutes.
Bredlow started the first four Bundesliga matches of this season while Dennis Seimen was injured, and Hoeneß has since set up a job-sharing arrangement between the two. Even after Seimen’s return, Bredlow was handed a recent Champions League start.
Read also: Florian Wirtz receives unexpected praise from one of his harshest critics after Liverpool display
The report does not specify the exact appearance threshold, but the more Bredlow plays, the harder a free move becomes.
Bredlow is one name on a long list
Munich have not acted on the offer. FCBinside reported that Bayern “has not responded to the offer so far and is apparently currently considering other candidates”, with any firm decision tied to Neuer’s own plans.
The alternative pool is wide. In early October, Sky named Kevin Trapp (Paris FC), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Marvin Schwäbe (1. FC Köln), Frederik Rönnow (Union Berlin), Lukas Hradecky (AS Monaco), Koen Casteels (Al-Qadsiah), Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid) and Rui Silva (Sporting) as options, with Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg) and Bernd Leno (Fulham) also under consideration. Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim) and Daniel Heuer Fernandes (Hamburger SV) have been linked as well.
Bredlow fits a general profile for the brief, Bundesliga experience, no development curve to invest in, no claim on the starting shirt, but Sky Germany reports several other clubs have made contact over his contract situation, which weakens Bayern’s leverage if they do turn serious.
Read also: Erling Haaland injury leaves Man City sweating as Maresca admits: ‘We have some doubts’
The Ulreich route is the one Munich will remember
The template exists. Bayern announced the signing of Sven Ulreich from Stuttgart on 16 June 2015, a 26-year-old with 176 Bundesliga appearances for VfB behind him and a three-year contract ahead of him. He spent most of the following decade as Neuer’s understudy, with a Champions League winner’s medal on the shelf and the dressing room’s trust intact.
Bredlow would arrive older, probably without a fee, and into a role where the next first-choice is still waiting his turn rather than cemented. Bayern’s next move, on him or on one of the names ahead of him, is the one tied to whatever Neuer decides about his final season.
Read also: Trump, millions of dollars and 42 questions: Gianni Infantino faces a reckoning at FIFA
