Manuel Neuer’s injury was a major blow for Bayern Munich, but the club quickly responded by signing young goalkeeper Jonas Urbig from Köln in January.

Since then, the entire team, coach Vincent Kompany, and fellow goalkeepers Sven Ulreich and Daniel Peretz have helped Urbig settle in. Kimmich, a key Bayern player, praised the young successor to Neuer.

Kimmich told Kicker: “I felt a bit sorry for him because he’s conceded a goal or two, but he’s never at fault. I can’t recall any major mistakes from him.”

Neuer might return against Mainz next Saturday, pushing Urbig back to the bench, but he has proven reliable. Kimmich sees him as Neuer’s future replacement and confidently stated: “Absolutely, otherwise we wouldn’t have signed him.”

He added with a smile: “Honestly, I’m not in a position to judge goalkeepers, but I can say he’s an outstanding guy.”

Kimmich also praised Urbig’s calmness and confidence on the pitch: “Being Bayern’s goalkeeper and replacing Manuel Neuer isn’t easy.”

Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl is also satisfied with the transfer: “Jonas is a highly talented goalkeeper, exactly what we envisioned with this move. He’s had excellent performances recently, showing great potential and filling Neuer’s shoes well.”