Bayern Munich's Dilemma: Brobbey or Gordon for Attack Refresh?
Bayern Munich are weighing up two very different answers to the same question: how do you protect Harry Kane and refresh the attack without tearing up the club’s transfer plan?
On one side stands Brian Brobbey, the powerful Dutch No. 9 who only just landed at Sunderland from Ajax for a little over €20 million. On the other, Anthony Gordon, Newcastle United’s relentless livewire, a wide forward with enough versatility to reshape Bayern’s front line.
The price of getting this call wrong will not be small.
Brobbey: Big body, bigger question mark
Brobbey’s name first surfaced in Munich as a straightforward solution. A classic centre-forward, happy to play as a backup, strong enough to bully defenders and give Kane the breathers a 60-game season demands.
The problem? Sunderland would not be cashing in on the cheap. The Independent reports that any club keen on the 22-year-old would need to start the bidding around €50 million. That is a hefty fee for a player who, so far this season, has offered more promise than production: six goals and one assist in 25 Premier League appearances. Useful, yes. Irresistible, no.
His profile is not without intrigue. Brobbey’s blend of pace and power has troubled top defenders before. Bayern centre-back Jonathan Tah knows that all too well. In Germany’s 2-2 Nations League draw with the Netherlands in September 2024, Brobbey repeatedly forced Tah into desperate fouls, eventually pushing the defender to the brink of a second yellow and off the pitch at half-time. On his day, the Dutchman is a handful.
But there is risk baked into his story. His previous move abroad, to RB Leipzig, ended in failure: 14 games, no goals, and a swift return to Ajax for €16 million. Only back in familiar surroundings did he catch fire again, scoring 56 times in 163 matches for the Amsterdam club before Sunderland came calling.
Bayern know that history. They also know what they want this time: reliability, flexibility and value.
Jackson out, Kane still king
The current understudy role to Kane is held by Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea. That arrangement is drifting quietly towards its end.
Jackson has not played enough to trigger the compulsory buy clause written into his deal, a clause tied to a specific number of starts. Bayern will sidestep that obligation, and the 24-year-old is now being linked with a move to AC Milan in Serie A once his time in Munich is up.
That leaves a vacancy behind Kane. But it does not automatically mean a straight swap of one pure No. 9 for another. Inside the club, the thinking has shifted.
Gordon: Bayern’s “absolute top choice”
According to Sky, Bayern’s recruitment focus has turned toward a more adaptable forward, someone who can support or challenge Luis Diaz on the left but also slide inside and change the shape of the attack.
That search has led them firmly to Anthony Gordon. Sky describe Bayern’s interest as “very concrete” and label the England international their “absolute top choice” to operate behind the untouchable Diaz in the pecking order.
Gordon offers what Brobbey cannot. At 25, he has already shown he can play wide, lead the line as a central striker, or drift into the No. 10 role behind a traditional No. 9 like Kane. His energy without the ball, his direct running with it, and his ability to pop up in different pockets make him a tactical gift for any coach.
Bayern are understood to be ready to go as high as €70 million to get him. That is serious money, even by their standards, and a clear signal of where they see the greater value.
Newcastle’s leverage and FFP pressure
Newcastle, though, are not in the mood to be pushed around. They are under Financial Fair Play scrutiny and may have to sacrifice at least one major asset to stay on the right side of the rules, but that does not mean they will roll over at the first big offer.
A bid of €70 million might prompt a raised eyebrow rather than a handshake. Gordon has become central to Newcastle’s identity and attack, and interest from heavyweight Premier League rivals such as Arsenal only strengthens the club’s bargaining position. Bayern might hope FFP pressure will open the door. It will not blow it off its hinges.
One big move, not two
What is clear is that Bayern will not be signing both Brobbey and Gordon this summer. Club planning rules that out. Two large transfer fees in the same window for players who would not all be guaranteed to start every week runs against the medium-term strategy mapped out in Munich.
So the decision sharpens: a relatively expensive, specialist backup in Brobbey, whose ceiling remains uncertain at the very highest level? Or a far costlier, but far more versatile Gordon, capable of reshaping how Bayern attack around Kane and Diaz?
Bayern have built their modern era on getting these calls right. The next one will say a lot about where they see the future of their forward line—and how bold they are prepared to be to secure it.
