Jamal Musiala is the best English player you’ve never heard of and can be a real

Brexit is now official but England’s best exports are still plying their trade in Germany. 

Everyone knows Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund and most are aware of Jude Bellingham, the 17-year-old who joined him there from Birmingham City last summer and made his England debut last year.

But what of Bayern Munich’s record-breaking Englishman? Or rather the player Gareth Southgate hopes will opt to play for England this year. 

Jamal Musiala is proving to be an England wonderkid playing for German giants Bayern Munich

Musiala is currently playing youth football for England but he is also eligible for Germany

Jamal Musiala isn’t 18 until next month but spent last year blazing a trail in the Bundesliga for the European champions.

An attacking midfielder and wide left player, he became the youngest Bayern player in Bundesliga history when he came on against Freiburg last June and Bayern’s youngest goalscorer, aged 17 years and 205 days, when he scored against Schalke in September.

Then he made his Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid in December. He is now a regular coming off the bench for the European champions and scored their opener against RB Leipzig last month.

For a club which is conservative in blooding youngsters, his poise and ability to adapt to elite football has taken many by surprise since his move to Germany from Chelsea at the age of 16 in 2019.

Born to a Nigerian father and German mother in Stuttgart, he initially grew up in Fulda, central Germany, until his parents moved to Southampton when he was seven, as his mother Carolin was studying at the university.

Musiala was born to a Nigerian father and German mother in Stuttgart and played for Chelsea

He briefly played for the Saints academy, had a spell back in Germany before returning to London and at the age of eight joined Chelsea’s academy where he grew close to the family of fellow academy player Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is two years older.

He broke Hudson-Odoi’s goal-scoring record at Whitgift School in Croydon, the independent school which also is alma mater to Victor Moses.

After eight years at Chelsea he joined Bayern in 2019, moving to Munich with his mother, and his progress since means he is in line for a new deal when he turns 18.

With only 18 months left on his contract, Musiala is likely to have Manchester United and Liverpool circling if Bayern can’t agree terms.

Bayern would be cautious about raising the financial expectations of a player still technically a child, but the reality is that Premier League clubs have no hesitation in paying £100,000-a-week to 18-year-olds they consider good value.

Musiala is now a regular feature in the Bayern first team but has 18 months left on his contract

In all likelihood, a five-year deal which starts at a relatively low figure but which builds to upwards of £200,000 a week if he progresses as expected will be the way round the current impasse. 

The other big issue he has to negotiate this…