Former Bayern Munich captain Lothar Matthaus has urged the club to swiftly finalize an agreement with Vincent Kompany, bringing an end to their prolonged and challenging search for a new coach.
According to multiple reports on Thursday, Bayern and Kompany have reached a verbal agreement, but the deal is yet to be officially completed.
Kompany, 38, is currently under contract with Burnley, and the club's owner, Alan Pace, has reportedly met with Bayern officials to discuss a compensation fee.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation.
In his role as an RTL TV pundit, Matthaus urged Bayern to act quickly and waste no more time.
"If you are convinced of him as a coach, then you should finally let him sign and take him," Matthaus said. "Because otherwise there won't be a coach at Bayern next year, and you have to present your coach as quickly as possible in order to push ahead with the planning."
Former SV Hamburg and Manchester City defender Kompany has coached Burnley since 2022, after two years in charge of Anderlecht in his native Belgium.
He led Burnley into the Premier League in his first season, but they were unable to stay up this term, finishing second to last.
His style is similar to that of former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, under whom he was City captain, emphasizing possession football backed by a compact defense, an area where Bayern have been lacking lately.
"I like what he is doing," Guardiola once said of Kompany, who he expects to be City manager one day.
Kompany's name has been mentioned in connection with Bayern since the beginning of the week after the record Bundesliga champions failed to land several other candidates.
Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, and Austria's Ralf Rangnick are staying put, Oliver Glasner is not allowed to leave Crystal Palace, and outgoing Thomas Tuchel also said he would not stay on after all.
Matthaus, who had earlier in the week named Bayern's search for a coach "comical," expressed doubt whether all Bayern bosses are convinced of Kompany. But he added, "the most important thing" was that the two men in charge of sporting matters, board member for sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund, were fully behind the decision.
Bayern would be a huge opportunity for Kompany while not without risk for the club, which went through its first season without a trophy since 2012.
There is also speculation that former Bayern player Alonso and ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could be available next year.
