Nestory Irankunda on cusp of move to German football heavyweights Bayern Munich
A European giant is reportedly set to smash the A-League transfer record to sign one of Australian football’s best young talents in a gamechanging transfer.
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One of Australia’s brightest young football talents is on the cusp of a move to German giants Bayern Munich.
Adelaide United’s Nestory Irankunda has been linked with a move to Europe for several months and reports on Friday night suggest the switch is close.
Reporter Fabrizio Romano tweeted: “Bayern are closing in on deal to sign 17 year old talent Nestory Irankunda.
“2006 born winger on the verge of joining Bayern in 2024 from Australian side Adelaide United.
“Understand fee verbally agreed is £3m fixed fee plus add-ons.”
A fee of about $5m Australian would smash the record set when Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio joined Scottish club Celtic.
If Irankunda’s move to the six-time Champions League winner eventuates, he would be teammates with some of the world’s biggest stars including Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer and Kingsley Coman.
There were reports in recent months that Irankunda would be fast-tracked into the Bayern first —team if a transfer was sealed.
Irankunda has played 38 games for Adelaide United and featured for Australia’s under-17 team.
He has been on the verge of a Socceroos debut.
Bayern Munich is currently second in the Bundesliga, two points behind Bayer Leverkusen.
ROBBIE SLATER AND MARCO MONTEVERDE DEBATE A-LEAGUE’S BIGGEST ISSUES
Less than a month into the A-League campaign, two coaches are gone and a third under increasing pressure, according to Socceroos great Robbie Slater.
He joins Marco Monteverde to debate the big issues in the A-League and run an eye over the latest Socceroos squad.
The pair discuss Bruno Fornaroli, Ufuk Talay’s return, playing matches in Ballarat and more.
COACHING CARNAGE
MM: Who would want to be a coach?! The A-League season is less than a month old but already Rado Vidosic and Steve Corica are gone. I’d be nervous if I was Central Coast coach Mark Jackson. I know the Mariners are doing well in the AFC Cup but they have been poor in the A-League.
RS: Forget about the AFC Cup. If Jackson doesn’t start picking up points in the A-League, he’ll be the next coach to be shown the door, and it’s going to happen soon unless things turn around for them quickly. Melbourne City and Sydney FC have shown a certain ruthlessness that won’t go unnoticed by the Mariners.
MM: I know that Brisbane Roar have played some good football, but if the Mariners can’t beat them in Gosford on Sunday, Jackson will be skating on the extremely thin ice. As the reigning champions, they shouldn’t lose at home to a team that failed to play finals football this season.
RS: The pressure on him will become unbearable. There’s no doubt he’s already feeling it after losing to teams such as Macarthur, last season’s wooden spooners, and Perth.
TALAY’S TIME
MM: One coach who won’t be feeling any pressure this weekend is Sydney’s new boss Ufuk Talay. I reckon he’ll relish the challenge of trying to beat Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium in his first game in charge of the Sky Blues.
RS: I know everyone talks about a team turning their form around in the first game after a coach has been sacked, but I reckon Adelaide are going to smash them at Coopers Stadium. The Reds are potent there, even without Nestory Irankunda.
MM: I’m going to have to disagree with you here mate. I think Sydney can get something from this game, even if it’s just a draw. I can’t see them starting the season with four straight losses. The players will want to prove something to Talay, who won’t stand for a rubbish performance in his first game as Sydney’s coach.
RS: I know and if it was anywhere else but in Adelaide I might agree with you but there is something about the Reds when they play at home. I expect Sydney to rise up the ladder under Talay but it’s an ascension that might have to wait for at least another week.
BALLARAT BLUNDER
MM: What we do know for sure is there will be a great atmosphere at Coopers Stadium, but unfortunately I don’t think the same can be said for Saturday’s game between Western United and Newcastle at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
RS: The Ballarat experiment has been nothing short of a disaster. It’s an embarrassment to the A-League.
MM: Well this is likely to be the last season Western United will play a few of their matches there now that their Tarneit training ground is going to start being used for matches.
RS: I don’t care. They shouldn’t be playing at Ballarat at all. Play at AAMI Park instead. The damage that this is doing to the image of the competition by having games in Ballarat is immeasurable, Making mistakes is human but to continually make mistakes is dumb, and that’s exactly what this is. It’s a poor advertisement for the competition, and I can’t believe that Australian Professional Leagues and the broadcaster haven’t said that this can’t happen. It’s a joke.
MM: What Western United coach John Aloisi won’t find as funny is his team’s two successive defeats and their failure to score in both losses. Hopefully Nikita Rukavytsya gets a start up front. He said the other day that he still wants to play for the Socceroos.
RS: He’s 36. Graham Arnold is looking to rejuvenate the Socceroos squad, not go the other way.
ROO BEAUTY
MM: What did you make of the Socceroos squad for this month’s games against Bangladesh and Palestine? Now that the A-League season has started, I guess Jamie Maclaren was always going to be recalled but I think he needs to perform better in the green and gold.
RS: Yeah, he’s got enough experience to do the job against Bangladesh and Palestine if given a chance, but Mitch Duke is the Socceroos’ first-choice striker.
MM: I agree with you there. What did you make of the players left out from the last squad? Milos Degenek and Awer Mabil are the main two. Degenek has been a constant in Arnie’s squads.
RS: Well they both aren’t playing for their clubs so they’re not going to be picked. Arnie has made that clear, and he’s right. I’m happy that Kusini Yengi has been named in the squad. He has made an impression at Portsmouth.
FORNAROLI’S FREE
MM: That’s without doubt. Another attacker, and recent Socceroo, making an impression recently has been Melbourne Victory’s Bruno Fornaroli. I’m looking forward to Friday night’s battle of the strikers when Fornaroli’s team hosts a Wellington Phoenix side that includes the in-form Oskar Zawada.
RS: Yeah, I’m glad Fornaroli didn’t get suspended for swearing at Adelaide coach Carl Veart last week. I kind of agree with what Victory coach Tony Popovic has said about needing to be careful with all the camera access these days. There needs to be some privacy and respect for players. I get that we want to have cameras and want to see things, but there needs to be a limit. Even when a player sneezes these days, everyone knows. It’s gone too far.
MM: Yes, it would have been a shame if we weren’t able to see two of the A-League’s best strikers up against each other. For what it’s worth, I reckon Zawada might outdo Fornaroli.
RS: No way mate. Bruno’s set to dominate again in what should be a Victory win, hopefully in front of a big crowd at AAMI Park.
Originally published as Nestory Irankunda on cusp of move to German football heavyweights Bayern Munich
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