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Boy's A Bit Special is back again to bring you the latest scout reports on some of football's finest young talent. On today's list, two players who represent the future of Bayern Munich - one already at the club and one on their transfer list! Here is why these two are the worst kept secret in German football.
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0:00
This summer, Bayern Munich are likely to do what they always do
0:02
pluck the Bundesliga's best talent and keep it all to themselves. We'd say they've been less prolific at it in the past couple of seasons, which is true
0:09
but then again, Bayern did try and sign Nick Valtemarra from Stuttgart last summer
0:13
and were less than gracious about it when Newcastle beat them to the punch. Unlucky lads
0:18
Dio Upamecano, Mario Goetze, Mats Hummels, Benjamin Pavard, Mario Gomez and even Manuel Neuer
0:23
have all been lured to Bayern's Seben Ostraza training base from other Bundesliga clubs over the past 15 years or so
0:30
And if reported to be believed, they're going to do it all over again. I'm Joe Donoghue and welcome back to the Boys a Bit Special
0:36
a 4-4-2 series highlighting the best and brightest teenagers in world football
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Bayern lost their first game of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season recently, in January
0:49
The Bavarian juggernaut are far and away the best team in German football and one of the most formidable in Europe too
0:55
finishing second in the Champions League's league phase with seven wins from eight matches
0:59
I'm never getting over how frustrating the Champions League league phase is, to say, by the way
1:04
Bayern's success on the pitch and their abundant resources off it make them a pretty attractive proposition
1:08
for any top-level player. Unless, of course, you are the aforementioned Valtemada
1:13
who clearly must love bridges and night out on the big market and Tynemath Beach
1:17
One of the Bundesliga's standouts this season has been FC Köln teenager Saeed El Mala
1:22
I think you can guess where I'm going with this. The 19-year-old is the business and on course for a double figures goal haul in what is his debut top flight campaign
1:30
Surprise, surprise, Vincent Kompany's mob are interested. What's even more alarming about El Mala's breakthrough is he's jumped up two divisions at once
1:41
Last season and the year before, he was playing for Victoria Köln in Germany's third tier
1:45
Then city rivals FC Köln picked him up for, depending where you live, the price of a modest city centre apartment less than two years ago
1:52
loaned him back to Victoria because of a transfer ban which restricted their ability to register new players
1:57
and now it likely he cost Bayern anywhere in the region of million Oof El Mala is 6 foot 2 inches tall but he been knocked down a peg or two once or twice before According to German reports he and his brother Malik were turned down by 13 clubs
2:11
after their release by Borussia Mönchengladbach as kids. Maybe it was Malik stinking out the place
2:16
and Saeed insisted they came as a package deal. A bit like Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly and Stepbrothers
2:21
And whoever it was at the Mönchengladbach Academy that signed off on their release, I've got a decent paper shredder to sell you
2:27
Directness is the name of the game for El Mala. He's a low-touch player, but when he gets onto the ball
2:31
he motors at opposition defences from the left flank. If you look at El Mala's shot map this season
2:36
you'll see a very clear pattern. The majority of his shots, and consequently goals
2:40
are taken inside the penalty area on that left-hand side, with the cone forward tending to favour sending his shots
2:46
to the right of the goalkeeper with his whipped shooting technique. Currently, Bayern have Luis Diaz in that position
2:51
and whilst he's doing pretty well, the 29-year-old won't be at the Allianz Arena forever
2:55
Diaz is on for a double-double, having already notched, at the time of recording, 10 goals and 9 assists from that side of the pitch
3:02
Even going on record to state how easy he's found the Bundesliga. Alright, relax mate, we get it, you're good
3:07
Last year El Mala scored 13 goals in 32 games for Victoria and was named the Dritte Liga's newcomer of the season
3:13
But even his most bullish fan probably wouldn't have forecasted taking to the Bundesliga as effectively as he has done
3:19
Otherwise Bayern probably would have moved for him sooner. He's been called up to the German national team
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so look out for him at the World Cup this summer because he might just make Julian Nagelsmann's squad
3:27
That is, if his Rookrunder is as promising as his Hinrunder. That's Bundesliga for second half and first half of the season
3:34
German efficiency at its finest. Why use five words when you can use one? But Bayern are not running unopposed in the Almala race
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There are a truckload of transfer links already and no doubt more to come in the subsequent months
3:45
Supposedly, there is Premier League interest from Brighton who were reportedly unsuccessful with the bid
3:49
during the recent transfer window, and the Seagulls know a thing or two about scouting players
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But after all that, and the fact key Bayern figures have already been discussing his performances in public
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I think we know where he's going to end up. Do you want more from 442
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Then why not join our community with a completely free membership It loads of benefits including extra content quizzes Q fan discussions plus plenty more All you have to do is click the link in the description and sign up with your email
4:15
Leonard Karl, that is absolutely magnificent. There are a few things we already know about 18-year-old Bayern Munich attacker Leonard Karl
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One, he's got a very German name. Two, he's got a great left foot
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And three, he's making a case to be European football's best teenager this season
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Granted, it helps that he's representing one of Europe's most dominant sides, but doesn't that make it a team that's all the more difficult to break into
4:38
You've probably heard Lennart Karl's name if you've watched any Bundesliga or Champions League football this season
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But let 442 furnish you with additional information of the interesting kind
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Karl averaged a goal or assist every 53 minutes at various youth levels last season
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I'm reluctant to go too deep into the numbers, but you really need to know the standard Karl was operating at in youth football
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How about this? 30 games, 34 goals and 11 assists for Bayern's under-17 and under-19 teams
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27 of those came in Bayern under-17's league campaign and there was only one of the 17 matches he played in in that competition
5:12
when he didn't find the back of the net still assisted in that game though in the age of bigger is better that seems to be sweeping football
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leading sporting directors to sign loftier and more brutish attacking players the Bayern youngster definitely breaks the mould
5:24
standing at 5 foot 6 inches tall or thereabouts sorry if we've underestimated you, Lennart
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Karl's breakthrough this season has been remarkable, not least because of the number of games his body's been able to deal with
5:35
at such a young age. He is a terrific little player, the type Harry Redknapp would wax lyrical over
5:40
whilst leaning out the window of his Range Rover. And the best part is, he knows it as well
5:45
Bayern's doe-eyed round-deuter is a mixture of your Arjen Robbins and your Thomas Müllers
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receiving the ball between lines one minute, cutting in from the right-hand side the next, and bending a shot into the far corner
5:55
before you can say, Mein Gott, wer ist dieses Wunderkind? Check out his goal against Mönchengladbach
6:00
for reference, for kicks, for your viewing pleasure. But his breakout year hasn't been without incident
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In a recent interview Karl admitted quite openly that his dream is to one day play for Real Madrid Probably wouldn have said that last bit Lenny Somebody get the lad some media training It hasn gone down too well with his Bayern teammates either
6:19
if rumours around the Allianz Arena are to be believed. We'd urge the rest of the squad, though, to remember
6:23
we all said daft things when we were 17. Cut him some slack
6:27
Then again, Thomas Müller was and is an unpredictable maverick in front of a microphone, so maybe that was the secret to his success
6:33
Yeah, we in Bayern, we have Robert Lewangolski. You know, Robert Lewandowski
6:42
Karl is similar on and off the pitch, it seems. But only in stature if you put the World Cup winning Müller through a hot-wash and dry cycle
6:49
Sorry for drawing attention to it again, wee man. Something Müller and Robben weren't particularly interested in, though
6:54
was the more industrial, agricultural side of the game. Karl has a certain scrappy-do element to him
7:00
battling for the ball in midfield and attack. And you know what? We like that. We do like a grafter
7:05
As for milestones and records, he's ticking them off very nicely indeed. At 17 years old, he became the youngest player in Champions League history
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to score in three consecutive matches earlier this season, against Klubbrugge, Arsenal and Sporting, hardly minnows of the competition
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And if that wasn't enough, he's wearing Jamal Musiala's old No. 42 shirt
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Doing it justice too. That's not all. In unprecedented levels of game-recognising game
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little Lennart's agent is none other than Michael Ballack. Ever heard of him? So, in short, that is precisely how Bayern could potentially have
7:35
one of the youngest frontlines next season, in some games at least. Teenage Lenny Carl
7:40
teenage Syed Elmala, probably. 23-year-old Jamal Musiala, 24-year-old Michael Alise, and the evergreen, timeless and ageless Harry Kane
7:49
Okay, maybe we're pushing it a little bit with that last one. Remember to subscribe to 442 for more Boys A Bit Special
7:55
unique stories, wonder kids, scout reports, football documentary shorts, and so much more
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Trust me, you're not getting this anywhere else. Until next time, bye for now
8:05
Laid Elmala! To Karl! Elmala might do it instead! Oh, my goodness
8:13
Laid Elmala, that is absolutely magnificent
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