Breakthrough or dead end? Nagelsmann favourite's third Bundesliga bid

Breakthrough or dead end? Nagelsmann favourite's third Bundesliga bid It has been a little while since Julian Nagelsmann was head coach of Bayern Munich. But one person in particular is likely to still remember that time very fondly. After all, the former Germany national team coach helped Gabriel Vidović make his debut for the record champions in 2022. A lot has happened since then. Not only for Nagelsmann, but also in Bayern’s squad, where the youngster never truly managed to establish himself. Several loan spells followed before the Croat left the club for Dinamo Zagreb. Now he is making a fresh attempt in the Bundesliga. SC Paderborn announced the signing of the 22-year-old this week. The newly promoted Bundesliga side is said to have paid a club-record fee of three million euros. That is according to Croatia’s 'Sportske Novosti', while 'Sky' reports it as two million plus one million in bonuses. "His career so far speaks for itself," said Paderborn managing director Sebastian Lange, adding about his strengths: "He is versatile, technically top-class, and his strengths also lie in dribbling and finishing." Nagelsmann had already identified similar qualities four years ago. He was particularly enthusiastic about the youngster’s spatial awareness and runs. "He sometimes holds on to the ball a little too long, but that’s okay at his age. I prefer that to the opposite," explained Bayern’s coach at the time. However, the competition in his position was also very strong. Vidović was reportedly underchallenged in the Regionalliga, where Bayern’s second team played. That was reported by 'kicker' at the time. Several loan spells followed: first to Vitesse Arnhem, then to Dinamo Zagreb, and finally to Mainz 05 in 2024. But even with Mainz, the left winger made only two appearances. After just half a year, Bayern ended the loan early after Mathys Tel moved to Tottenham Spurs. However, he did not get many minutes even after returning to Bayern. In the end, he made 22. Bayern finally drew a definitive line under it last summer when Vidović returned permanently to Dinamo Zagreb. He was delighted there. "I can hardly put my joy into words. I’m wearing my favorite shirt again and I can’t hide my excitement. Everyone knows how much Dinamo means to me and my family. I’m simply overjoyed and grateful to the club for its trust," the attacking player said at his unveiling. In general, things went very well for him in Croatia, not only last season (12 goal contributions in 27 league matches), but also during his loan spell in the 2023/24 season, when he recorded 10 goal contributions in 27 games. So he has been especially convincing in the Balkan country, while that has not been the case in the Bundesliga so far. Paderborn are investing an enormous sum by their standards and, as a newly promoted side, are taking a full risk. Now the record signing has to prove that he can justify the early praise on the pitch, so that his third attempt in the Bundesliga does not end in another dead end. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.