Monday, December 12, 2022 at 11:59 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 00:23

Bayern Munich is investigating the possibilities of adding Dominik Livakovic to the selection in January, reports Sky Sports. The German record champion has been impressed at the World Cup by the Croat, who played a leading role in two penalty shoot-outs, and has already started talks with the management of the 27-year-old Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper.

Bayern are saddled with an acute problem under the crossbar due to the serious injury of Manuel Neuer, who broke his leg while skiing. The 36-year-old goalie, who has been the first choice since 2011, is not expected to return this season. Neuer’s management denies that the veteran has violated a contractual agreement by going on a skiing holiday with Germany after the elimination at the World Cup. Bayern has weighed various options and is first making an attempt to separate Livakovic from Croatia. “It’s all still in an exploratory phase,” adds journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Livakovic is with Dinamo Zagreb until mid-2024 and has been playing for the Croatian top club for six years. The goalie recaptured his starting place with his national team in the autumn and became one of the stars at the World Cup last week. Livakovic guided his country with no less than three stopped penalties against Japan (1-1) to the quarterfinals with Brazil (1-1). In it he again became the hero in the penalty shootout. Livakovic stopped Rodrygo’s attempt and was lucky when Marquinhos hit the post moments later. Croatia therefore plays the semi-final against Argentina on Tuesday.

If Livakovic proves unfeasible or too expensive, Bayern can also opt for internal solutions. For example, there is the option to immediately retrieve Alexander Nübel, who has been loaned to AS Monaco since the summer of 2021. Bayern can also express confidence in second goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, who has already replaced Neuer several times this season.