Bayern Munich's Shirt Sales in Asia: Key Players Revealed

Bayern Munich have spent the week selling their brand in South Korea and Hong Kong, and the tills have been ringing to a slightly unexpected tune.

According to marketing chief Rouven Kasper, the shirts flying most quickly off the rails are those of Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich and Luis Díaz. The old captain, the midfield heartbeat and the high-profile attacking signing are the names fans want on their backs on this tour.

The kids are not far behind. Youngsters Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof are also in demand, a clear sign that Bayern’s next generation already carries weight with supporters thousands of miles from Munich.

Noticeably absent from Kasper’s rundown: Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala. Not because their star power has dimmed, but because none of the trio boarded the plane.

Kane and Olise are still on holiday, granted extra rest after gruelling World Cup campaigns with England and France. Musiala remains in Munich as well, still managing the minor after-effects of the serious ankle injury he suffered last year. During a planned procedure, doctors removed the metal plate that had been stabilising the joint.

So while Neuer and company work the crowds in Asia, Musiala is back at Säbener Straße, grinding through individual sessions. He is not alone. Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl, Alphonso Davies, new signing Ismael Saibari and Bryan Zaragoza are also training separately at the club’s headquarters, building fitness away from the glare of the tour.

On the pitch, Bayern’s preparations have rolled on. In Hong Kong on Wednesday, they faced Europa League winners Aston Villa in the second friendly of their Asia swing, having opened the trip with a 2–1 win over South Korean side Jeju SK FC on Tuesday.

The schedule now tightens. The German champions return to Munich on Saturday, swap the long-haul flights for familiar training pitches, and then host RB Leipzig in a friendly on 15 August.

After that, there is no more easing in. On 22 August, Bayern walk into their first competitive test of the new season: the Super Cup against BVB. A trophy on the line, a Klassiker to start the campaign, and a clear question hanging over it all — which of these names so popular on the back of shirts will seize centre stage when it really counts?