Bayern wonderkid Lennart Karl has arrived
Lennart Karl is wearing Jamal Musiala’s number and is following in his footsteps as Bayern Munich’s next great talent.
It takes a lot to catch the eye at Bayern Munich. This is a team that has started the 2025/26 season by winning 13 out of 13 matches in all competitions. Harry Kane is breaking Bundesliga records with his goalscoring while Luis Díaz and Michael Olise continue to deliver. It is a 17-year-old wonderkid, however, who has dominated most recent discussion.
If you didn’t know Lennart Karl’s name a week ago, you do now, especially if you have any interest in German football. While the teenager made his Bayern debut at the Club World Cup, it’s only in the last seven days that he has truly announced himself, scoring in back-to-back games against Club Brugge and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Both goals were sensational. Against Club Brugge, Karl dropped a shoulder to lose a couple of defenders before driving forward to the edge of the box and firing into the back of the net from 18 yards out. A few days later against Gladbach, the 17-year-old did something similar, finding the top corner with a curling left-footed strike.
These two goals were an introduction that illustrate exactly what Karl offers. He is a diminutive playmaker with the ability to beat opponents on the dribble, get in between the lines and pose a threat in and around the penalty box. There will be many more moments like the ones Karl produced against Brugge and Gladbach.
Standing at just 5′ 6″, Karl’s low centre of gravity makes it almost impossible to knock him off the ball. The teenager can change direction quickly and is comfortable with both feet. He can absorb possession in tight spaces and make something of it, twisting and turning to find space.
Of course, it’s not unheard of for a player so young to have such a high level of technical ability. Karl joined the Bayern Munich academy at the age of 12 and has had the most sophisticated footballing education. It’s easy to see the hard work of his coaches in the way he plays.
However, it’s not so common to see a teenager with Karl’s sharpness in decision making. He has the sort of composure one would expect of a player who has multiple seasons at the elite level under their belt. Karl looks at home among some of the best players in the world and at the highest level of the German and European game.
“As a young player, you don’t have pressure. I want Lennart to feel that too,” said Vincent Kompany when asked about Karl’s development in the first team. “He has to enjoy what he’s doing. If he makes mistakes, we’ll discuss it. Hopefully, at some point, the pressure will be on his shoulders. But for now he should enjoy these moments without any pressure.”
It’s too early for Karl to be considered a starter for Bayern Munich. The Bavarians boast arguably the strongest forward line in European football right now with Kane, Díaz and Olise combining for 30 goals in all competitions this season. And this is with Jamal Musiala still to return from injury in the new year.
Karl could also improve his off-the-ball work which will be expected if the attacking midfielder is to become a key figure in Kompany’s team moving forward. He must learn to apply himself in the counter-press and also add positional discipline to his game. These things should come with maturity and physical development.
Nonetheless, not since the emergence of Musiala has Bayern Munich produced such an exciting young talent. Comparisons between the pair are unavoidable, especially because Karl has taken Musiala’s former shirt number. The two players operate in the same position and play the game in a similar way.
Musiala tends to drift to the left while Karl is more comfortable shaded to the right. It’s not impossible that the pair could operate in the same team in the future. They embody Bayern Munich’s future, and increasingly their present, with Karl making an impact in his last two appearances.
This season could be a special one for Bayern Munich. The Bavarians are so far clear at the top of the Bundesliga table that they might as well hand out the trophy now while commanding victories over Chelsea, Pafos, and Club Brugge have made an early statement on Bayern’s chances of winning the Champions League.
Last season, Kompany built a foundation through his possession-heavy approach that Bayern Munich are now building on. Not only is their frontline firing on all cylinders, the midfield and defence appears better balanced than it did last term. The emergence of Karl, however, could be the true significance of this season. He is a Bayern superstar in the making.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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