Armel Belakov has been given the green light to join Bayern Munich.
Munich made defensive changes this summer. After losing Luca Hernandez to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and bringing in Kim Min-Jae as his replacement, the Bavarians started the new season with a rotation of Dayo Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt, and Kim Min-Jae. However, the team needed an extra player to fulfill their tight schedule. We had Benjamin Pavard, but he was already looking to move on, so we started looking for a replacement.
A number of players were on the radar. Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier also surprised many when he was linked with a ‘surprise’ move. With Fabar’s departure, Munich began to actively search for his replacement.
The transfer deadline is just around the corner. Munich found the right man. Southampton’s Belakov. The promising German is a versatile player who stands over six feet tall and has good defensive and build-up skills.
He also has experience in Germany. Being a German native, he grew up in his country’s league. He played in the youth ranks of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Duisburg before moving to Bochum in 2017. He made his senior debut in the 2018-19 season and quickly established himself as a quality player. In 2019-20, he made double-digit league appearances, and in 2020-21, he was promoted to the first team, making 28 league appearances. Bochum won promotion on the back of his performances, and he experienced a dream season in the German Bundesliga in 2021-22.
He moved to Southampton for the 2022-23 season. Belakov settled in quickly and made 26 appearances, including cup competitions, and provided two assists. Although Southampton were relegated, Belakov’s solid performances caught the eye of several clubs.
“Munich are considering Southampton’s Abelakocha as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-Pavar,” according to British outlet 토토사이트 Sport Kida on Friday. Dortmund also wanted him, but according to German Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, the chances of a move to Dortmund were slim.
At the same time, the move to Munich gained momentum. “Belakov has given the green light to a move to Munich,” said Philipp Kessler, a reporter for TZ Munich. Southampton want 3.5 million euros (about 4.9 billion won) for the player. Everything depends on Munich. The club’s hierarchy is confident of securing the deal.”