As the 2025/26 football season draws to a close, eleven loan players from FC Bayern Munich are set to return. This article examines how they performed at their respective loan clubs and whether they have made a case for a future at Bayern, or if they have left disappointing impressions.
FC Bayern Munich: Joao Palhinha
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Age: 30
Contract until: 2028
Loaned until: End of season to Tottenham Hotspur
After his €50 million transfer to Bayern proved to be a misunderstanding, the Munich club loaned the Portuguese player to Tottenham for the season. The campaign started exceptionally well for the 30-year-old, particularly from a personal perspective. In the first half of the season, he was a consistent starter under then-coach Thomas Frank and scored notable goals, including two overhead kicks. Palhinha expressed his happiness at Tottenham, feeling the fans’ support. He largely maintained his starting position at Spurs, even with the brief managerial change. While Palhinha impressed individually, Tottenham’s team performance has been poor, with the club facing potential relegation to the Championship. Bayern, despite Leon Goretzka’s impending departure, reportedly sees no future for Palhinha and hopes Tottenham will exercise their €30 million buy-out option if they avoid relegation.
FC Bayern Munich: Sacha Boey
Position: Right-back
Age: 25
Contract until: 2028
Loaned until: End of season to Galatasaray Istanbul
At the start of the season, Boey seemed poised to establish himself at Bayern. However, an incident before a match against Union Berlin reportedly caused friction with teammates and the coaching staff, as Boey was perceived as taking too long to prepare for his substitution. Coach Vincent Kompany ultimately decided against bringing him on. In the following months, Boey saw limited action due to a subsequent illness. He was loaned to Galatasaray in the winter, returning to his former club. Boey is not an undisputed starter at Galatasaray either, but he has achieved some success, scoring against Alanyaspor and in the Champions League against Juventus Turin. Galatasaray is on track for another league title, with a narrow lead over rivals Fenerbahce.
FC Bayern Munich: Alexander Nübel
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 29
Contract until: 2030
Loaned until: End of season to VfB Stuttgart
Despite being contracted to Bayern for nearly six years, Nübel has only made four appearances for the club. It was previously reported that the goalkeeper, currently on loan at VfB Stuttgart, would not return even if Manuel Neuer retired. However, according to kicker, Nübel has changed his stance and is now open to competing for the starting goalkeeper position in Munich, even against the younger Jonas Urbig. During his three years at Stuttgart, Nübel gained valuable experience, winning the DFB-Pokal last season and earning three caps for the German national team. Internally at Bayern, Urbig is still considered the preferred candidate to succeed Neuer. kicker reports that there are «isolated considerations» at Säbener Straße to prematurely terminate Nübel’s contract, which runs until 2030.
FC Bayern Munich: Bryan Zaragoza
Position: Left Winger
Age: 24
Contract until: 2029
Loaned until: End of season to AS Roma
Zaragoza has moved from one loan spell to another since his departure from FC Bayern, with stints at CA Osasuna, Celta Vigo, and currently AS Roma. After a promising start in the Italian capital, any initial excitement has faded. Zaragoza played regularly at the beginning of his time with Roma, even providing an assist against Napoli. However, he has spent the last five league games on the bench. It is highly unlikely that Roma will activate their €13 million buy-out option. The option would have become mandatory under certain conditions, including qualification for the Champions League or Europa League and Zaragoza playing at least half of the available minutes. Instead, Roma is reportedly willing to pay the €500,000 penalty to Bayern to avoid a permanent transfer. Zaragoza will return to Bayern after the season, with his future uncertain.
FC Bayern Munich: Arijon Ibrahimovic
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 20
Contract until: 2027
Loaned until: End of season to 1. FC Heidenheim
Following less successful loan spells at Frosinone Calcio and Lazio Rome, Ibrahimovic appears to have found a suitable environment at 1. FC Heidenheim this season, gaining significant playing time. Under coach Frank Schmidt, he has accumulated over 2,000 minutes across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists in 29 appearances, mostly from the start. His work rate is also notable, ranking among the Bundesliga’s best in sprints and intense runs. The loan within the Bundesliga allows Bayern coach Vincent Kompany to monitor his development closely. Ibrahimovic has stated he does not wish to be loaned out again and prefers a permanent club. If no prospect arises at Bayern, he could still generate a transfer fee, as his contract runs until 2027.
FC Bayern Munich: Jonah Kusi-Asare
Position: Centre-Forward
Age: 18
Contract until: —
Loaned until: End of season to FC Fulham
Kusi-Asare’s loan to FC Fulham in the Premier League has been a complete disaster. He has made only five brief appearances in the league, totaling 30 minutes. Unused by the first team, he was relegated to the U21 squad, where he scored four goals in five Premier League 2 matches. Reports circulated in January about Bayern’s intention to terminate the loan early, but this did not happen. For Kusi-Asare, the season cannot end quickly enough.
FC Bayern Munich: Maurice Krattenmacher
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 20
Contract until: 2027
Loaned until: End of season to Hertha BSC
Loan spells are not new for Krattenmacher. After playing for SSV Ulm last season, he is now on loan at Hertha BSC. His time in the capital began promisingly, starting the first four second-division games. However, he gradually lost his starting place, primarily featuring as a substitute in the latter half of the first half of the season. A thigh injury in late January sidelined him for several months, causing him to miss seven consecutive games. He made his comeback on March 14th, playing 13 minutes, and has since been an unused substitute twice before playing 26 minutes in a home defeat.
FC Bayern Munich: Armindo Sieb
Position: Second Striker
Age: 23
Contract until: 2027
Loaned until: End of season to 1. FSV Mainz 05
Sieb’s two-year loan spell at Mainz 05 is nearing its end, and he has not managed to establish himself long-term. In the 2025/26 season, he was mostly a substitute, with limited appearances. Additionally, he missed four games due to illness in January and February. Since then, he has been in the squad seven times in the league, but has only accumulated 32 minutes in three brief appearances. He managed 45 minutes across three substitute appearances in the UEFA Conference League, scoring against Sigma Olomouc in the Round of 16 second leg. Overall, Sieb has played 28 competitive games and scored three goals, but has not reached 1,000 minutes of playing time.
FC Bayern Munich: Daniel Peretz
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 25
Contract until: 2028
Loaned until: End of season to FC Southampton
When Peretz’s loan to Hamburger SV looked set to be a disaster due to a lack of playing time, Bayern intervened in the winter and loaned the Israeli to FC Southampton in the Championship. His situation there has improved significantly. Although the team is likely to miss out on promotion to the Premier League, Peretz has personal reasons to celebrate. He is the undisputed number one at the Saints and has started every game since his arrival. His record is impressive: Southampton has only lost once in 15 league games with Peretz in goal – on his debut against Hull City. Since then, they have achieved eleven wins and three draws. The team’s mid-table position is attributed to a catastrophic first half of the season before Peretz joined. Furthermore, they have had an incredible FA Cup run, reaching the semi-finals after a sensational victory against Premier League leaders FC Arsenal. Peretz expressed his desire to stay at Southampton, calling it a «perfect match,» but acknowledged it’s too early to discuss the summer. Southampton reportedly holds a €12 million buy-out option, which they are likely to exercise. If this happens, Bayern could make a profit, having signed Peretz for €5 million from Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023.
FC Bayern Munich: Lovro Zvonarek
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 20
Contract until: 2027
Loaned until: End of season to Grasshoppers Zurich
After playing a minimal role during his loan spell at Sturm Graz in the second half of the previous season, Zvonarek’s time with Bayern’s partner club Grasshoppers Zurich is proving much more positive, despite the team’s fight against relegation from the Super League. The Croatian has started in 24 out of 25 competitive matches, becoming a key player. He has scored two goals and provided three assists. He has also been nominated five times for the Croatian U21 national team, captaining them twice in the European Championship qualifiers.
FC Bayern Munich: Tarek Buchmann
Position: Centre-back
Age: 21
Contract until: 2027
Loaned until: End of season to 1. FC Nürnberg
Buchmann’s young career has been significantly hampered by injuries. In the 2022/23 season, he was sidelined for 117 days with a thigh injury. This was followed by an extended period of 17 months, from September 2023 to February 2025, due to recurring thigh muscle tears, requiring two surgeries. His comeback was short-lived as a shoulder injury in March forced another operation and a lengthy break. During his loan spell at 1. FC Nürnberg, the 21-year-old suffered a foot injury early in the 2025/26 season, missing 13 games. While he gained playing time for Nürnberg’s reserve team in the Regionalliga, his professional debut for the first team only came on March 14th, which remains his only appearance to date. He did, however, make a strong impression on coach Miroslav Klose, who praised his vision, passing ability, fighting spirit, and bravery. Buchmann has little time left to prove himself, and after the season, he will initially return to FC Bayern.