Bayern Munich eyeing Manchester City’s John Stones as Kim Min-jae future remains uncertain

Munich—Bayern Munich have identified Manchester City defender John Stones as a potential summer reinforcement as uncertainty swirls around the future of South Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae, sources have told the Daily Briefing.

With Kim open to a move—though conflicting reports suggest he may yet stay—the Bavarians are mapping out contingency plans at centre-half. Dayot Upamecano is expected to put pen to paper on a new deal shortly, leaving sporting directors to decide who will serve as the reliable third option alongside Upamecano and incoming Bayer Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah.

Enter Stones. The 31-year-old England international is out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in June and, barring an unexpected U-turn, will not be offered an extension, ending an illustrious nine-year spell in Manchester. Clubs from across Europe have been alerted; Bayern have already held preliminary discussions designed to sell the project to the former Everton man.

“Bayern have already started moves behind the scenes to persuade Stones,” a well-placed source revealed. “His old team-mate Vincent Kompany could be key, as could another England player in Harry Kane, but a final decision won’t happen now.”

Kompany, now Bayern’s head coach, partnered Stones at the heart of City’s defence during the Belgian’s final playing season in England, and the pair remain in contact. Kane, meanwhile, has forged a strong on-pitch relationship with Stones during England camps and is understood to be an enthusiastic advocate for a Bundesliga switch.

Financial hurdles remain. Stones currently earns a total package of €18.6 million per season, according to Capology, a figure that dwarfs Bayern’s standard wage structure for squad players. Any deal would therefore hinge on the defender accepting a pay cut, something club negotiators believe is feasible given the opportunity to secure a multi-year contract and remain at the pinnacle of European football.

From a sporting perspective, the move makes sense for both parties. Bayern want a seasoned, ball-playing centre-back capable of slotting straight into Kompany’s possession-heavy system, while Stones is eager for guaranteed minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup. If Kim departs, minutes would be plentiful; even if the Asian star stays, competition for places is viewed as healthy given the club’s return to the Champions League’s latter stages as a stated objective.

Cassiano Kiala, the 20-year-old prospect currently on Bayern’s books, is not yet considered ready for a front-line role, accelerating the search for a low-cost, high-experience option. A free-transfer acquisition of Stones would preserve funds for other positions while adding leadership to a relatively young defensive corps.

Stones is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs and has already fielded informal enquiries from Italy and Spain, yet sources indicate Bayern’s combination of familiar faces, title ambitions and Bundesliga exposure has placed them at the front of the queue—for now.

No offer has been tabled, and the saga is expected to stretch deep into the spring, contingent first on Kim’s decision and secondly on whether Stones receives a late City reprieve. Yet the pathway is clear: if the South Korean exits and Upamecano commits, the path could open for another Englishman to join Kane in Bavaria.