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Bayern Munich have reached an agreement in principle to sign defender Nathaniel Brown from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Athletic It was reported in June that the 23-year-old was set to join Bayern and was waiting for the German champions to reach an agreement with Frankfurt. The left-back has also attracted the attention of Arsenal.
Braun started Germany’s first two games at the World Cup before remaining on the bench for Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Ecuador.
Brown joined Frankfurt from Nuremberg in January 2024 and made 75 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and making 13 assists.
In the 2025/26 season, he made 42 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and making six assists, and was named the club’s best player.
The German national team player’s contract in Frankfurt runs until 2029.
Braun made his Germany debut in October 2025 and was named in Julian Nagelsmann’s 2026 World Cup squad, scoring in his side’s 7-1 win over Curacao in the opening group stage match.
Alphonso Davies has traditionally been Bayern Munich’s main left-back, but the last two seasons of his career were cut short by injury.
What will Brown bring to Bayern?
Bayern are set to sign a player who seems ideal for head coach Vincent Kompany.
Brown is universal. He primarily plays as a left-back, but can also play further forward and, if necessary, at right-back. His skill on the ball has been a big asset for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, for whom he is currently first choice, and is likely to prove a similar asset for Bayern, whose style of possession and positional variability should be easy for him to adapt to.
Is there a difference between reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and winning the tournament? It’s hard to say, but already an outstanding player and with plenty of potential yet to be realized, Brown undoubtedly makes Bayern’s first team better and deeper. Signing him probably won’t hurt.
Next question: what does this mean for Alphonso Davies, Canada’s international defender? Davies is a top player when fit and has had a successful career at Bayern, but he has suffered a number of injuries in recent seasons and has become difficult to rely on.
He has appeared in just 32 Bundesliga games over the past two seasons, and although he is part of Canada’s World Cup squad, he is yet to feature as he battles to recover from a hamstring injury suffered during the Champions League semi-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.