The Euros are just months away, and Germany has some big roster issues to solve. The Bundesliga has been completely flipped upside down, with Leverkusen and Stuttgart having strong seasons while Bayern—and particularly some of their German veterans—have struggled. In the Premier League, some Germans who have made big moves have struggled, while others are flying under the radar.
With only 23 roster spots, there will undoubtedly be some big cuts. Julian Nagelsmann will have some big decisions to make—here’s who I would select for the tournament if it started today.
These are not necessarily predictions, just who I think deserves to play in the Euros.
Goalkeepers
Manuel Neuer is the easiest pick in this entire squad. The Bayern goalkeeper has somehow come back stronger from his injury and has been incredible despite the Bavarian club’s less-than-convincing form. Neuer must be the starter for Germany if Die Mannschaft want a deep run in the tournament.
The two back-ups I would take are Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp and Fulham’s Bernd Leno. Both are more than capable back-ups and great influences in the locker room and, importantly, starters at club level. The two have played nine matches each for the national team, which means they are prepared in case Neuer suffers another injury.
The elephant in the room: Marc-Andre ter Stegen should not be part of the squad. While he has long been a quality starter for Barcelona, the national team is a different issue. During the build-up to the 2020 Euros, ter Stegen and Neuer had issues to the point that Uli Hoeness threatened to have Bayern players boycott the team. Ter Stegen missed the tournament with an injury, but it’s best to steer clear of a potential issue altogether.
Defenders
Let’s start with the obvious. As long as Antonio Rüdiger is healthy, he should be a starter—if he’s good enough for Real Madrid, he’s good enough for Germany. Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah has also surely earned a spot on the squad thanks to his performances for the surprise title challengers this season.
Leipzig full-backs Benjamin Heinrichs and David Raum have a great chance of making the squad, partially due to a lack of choices, but also because of their offensive contributions. Dortmund’s Niklas Süle, while inconsistent, can play on the right and in the middle and is very experienced.
The final choice was between center-backs Nico Schlotterbeck and Mats Hummels. Neither are having their best season, but I would tip Mats Hummels for his experience and leadership.
Midfielders
Germany’s midfield is more or less settled.
Madrid’s Toni Kroos has returned to the national team after a short break, having retired from international duty after the 2020 Euros. He will undoubtedly go back to the squad. The same applies to another La Liga midfielder, Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan. Despite increasing pressure from the media, Joshua Kimmich remains crucial for both Bayern and Germany, although he might be used as a right-back instead.
Germany has a wealth of attacking midfielders. Bayern duo Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala will also go right into the squad, and Musiala is guaranteed to be a starter. I feel like both Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz deserve to be on the team, but there isn’t room for both of them and Wirtz has to be there.
Now for the wild cards. Brighton’s Pascal Groß has only just received his first call-up for the national team at the age of 32, but he continues to improve with age and should be part of the team. Robert Andrich is something of a late bloomer as well, but his performances with Leverkusen show why he should be called up. Finally, Aleksandar Pavlović has become a starter at Bayern and is certainly deserving of a spot for Germany.
Forwards
Unlike German teams of the past, forwards are where die Mannschaft start to look a little weak.
Stuttgart pair Deniz Undav and Christian Führich have certainly earned a spot at the Euros, with a combined 32 G/A in the Bundesliga. However, Undav is uncapped at the moment, while Führich has only made one appearance for Germany — a friendly against the US in October.
I’m listing Kai Havertz as a forward because he’s played there recently for Arsenal, but over the years he’s also been used as an attacking midfielder, winger, and left-back (exclusively by Julian Nagelsmann). It’s always good to have a jack-of-all-trades like him in the squad, and he’s scoring again in London.
Leroy Sané is the only Bayern player who has done enough to justify a call-up, especially with Serge Gnabry missing a large chunk of the season due to injury. Sané remains maddeningly inconsistent, but on his day is a world-class player. His versatility also makes him a good option.
Dortmund striker Niclas Füllkrug perhaps hasn’t been as great as Dortmund had hoped, with just eleven goals this season. However, he’s still physically threatening and has an insane scoring record for the national team (ten goals in thirteen matches).
I was half-considering putting Timo Werner or Karim Adeyemi here because their speed makes them devastating options off the bench, but ultimately decided neither of them has done enough this season to justify a spot.
Final Squad
Goalkeepers: Neuer, Trapp, Leno
Defenders: Rüdiger, Tah, Heinrichs, Raum, Süle, Hummels
Midfielders: Kroos, Gundogan, Kimmich, Müller, Musiala, Wirtz, Groß, Andrich, Pavlović
Forwards: Undav, Führich, Havertz, Sané, Füllkrug
Let me know if you think there is someone else I missed or should have added to the squad instead!
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Image Courtesy of www.dfb.de.