Jamal Musiala is emerging as Bayern Munich’s key player. Will he stay?

BERLIN (AP) — Jamal Musiala is emerging as Bayern Munich’s most important player this season. The club is hoping the young Germany star will stay for the long term.

Musiala’s contract with the Bavarian powerhouse is up at the end of the 2025-26 season, so there’s still plenty of time for the parties to reach an agreement on an extension.

But his form this season has brought an urgency to the issue. Musiala is playing better than ever, putting Bayern’s decision-makers under pressure to tie the player to the club before he’s lured away by a rival.

Bayern lost Toni Kroos and David Alaba to Real Madrid after failing to extend their contracts, while Robert Lewandowski departed the club for Barcelona in 2022 after refusing to sign a new deal, which had a year left to run.

Musiala is much younger and Bayern has identified the 21-year-old forward as the future face of the club, albeit not at any price. Bayern has always prioritized good financial management and has consistently posted record revenues.

“Jamal is an extraordinary player (but) it’s not the time to talk about extending his contract,” Bayern director of sport Max Eberl said recently after the team’s 4-0 win over Mainz in the German Cup, when Musiala scored a hat trick.

After that game, Musiala made fun of teammate Harry Kane, giving a mock interview in which he spoke of “another special night” and “fantastic performance from the whole team against a really tough” rival, before saying “we keep it going … we want to keep this momentum.”

Kane generally gives versions of the same interview after games.

The England forward has scored 11 goals in the Bundesliga for Bayern this season, but Musiala is arguably emerging as the difference-maker for the team. And he’s constantly adding new skills to his repertoire.

Musiala scored with an uncharacteristic strike from distance for Bayern to beat St. Pauli 1-0 away on Saturday, stretching the team’s winning run to five games across all competitions.

“It was my first goal from outside the box this year,” Musiala said of his shot that went in off the underside of the crossbar. “We practiced that in training, to shoot from a bit further out. That’s why I’m even happier today.”

Musiala has been pushing his boundaries all season. He scored Bayern’s opening goal as the Bavarian powerhouse started the Bundesliga season with a 3-2 win at Wolfsburg. Despite missing some time with an injury, he has scored a total of five goals in the Bundesliga and set up two more.

He also scored with his head – another novelty – in Bayern’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League.

Musiala celebrated by touching his head, as if he himself was surprised he scored with a header. Usually, he scores by running at defenders, using his speed, remarkable balance, unpredictable direction and technical skill with the ball to sow panic in opposing defences. Most defenders are already aware that Musiala packs a precise punch and is capable of scoring from any angle.

The winner against Benfica was his second headed goal this season including one in his hat trick against Mainz.

“I think I’ve taken steps forward,” Musiala said. “Last year I was a little lacking in goals and assists, but I’m adding that now. I’m also trying to work on getting fitter so I can play lots of games in succession.”

Asked if Musiala was collecting arguments for his contract extension, Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund replied that the player “already had plenty of plenty arguments.”

Freund preferred to focus on the player’s present rather than his future.

“We said the last couple of weeks, now he’s scoring headers. And now he’s scoring from distance – you don’t see that every day,” Freund said. “It was another great goal. They’re also important goals that he’s scoring. He’s in super form.”

Musiala next has Nations League games with Germany against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary, before the Bundesliga resumes with Bayern hosting Augsburg on Nov. 22.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press