Bundesliga News: Bayern signs Daniel Fradley, BVB loses Pascal Groß and parts ways with Clapham
2026-01-03 · Bundesliga
FC Bayern Munich strengthens its coaching team with Daniel Fradley from Manchester City. Borussia Dortmund bids farewell to Pascal Groß, who joins Brighton & Hove Albion, and parts ways early with set-piece expert Alex Clapham. Additionally, St. Pauli’s top scorer Andreas Hountondji is sidelined due to injury, while Bayern’s Jamal Musiala becomes the first player to return to training.
The FC Bayern Munich has secured a significant reinforcement for its coaching staff: Daniel Fradley is moving from English top club Manchester City to Säbener Straße. The 35-year-old Englishman served as head analyst under Pep Guardiola and will now become assistant coach to Vincent Kompany. After stints at AFC Rochdale and New York City FC, his arrival at the German record champions marks Fradley’s first role in the Bundesliga. With this move, Bayern is banking on modern analytics and coaching expertise from the Premier League.<br><br>
At Borussia Dortmund, there have been two major changes: Experienced midfielder Pascal Groß has been released and will permanently join Brighton & Hove Albion. Groß, who moved from the English club to BVB in 2024, made 66 competitive appearances for Dortmund, scoring one goal and providing 17 assists. This season, the 34-year-old featured 16 times. Additionally, BVB has parted ways with set-piece specialist Alex Clapham. Head coach Niko Kovač stated: «His contract would have expired in the summer anyway. We both agreed it was time to go our separate ways.» Clapham had already announced his departure via an online platform.<br><br>
FC St. Pauli will have to do without their top scorer for the time being: Andréas Hountondji, a Benin international and the team’s leading scorer with four goals, is suffering from a hairline fracture in his left ankle. He sustained the injury in the match against FSV Mainz 05 and will be unavailable to the team for an extended period. This is a major setback for the club, which had envisioned a different start to the new footballing year.<br><br>
There is positive news from FC Bayern Munich: Jamal Musiala is the first professional player to return to the training pitch. The 22-year-old offensive player began his recovery training at Säbener Straße a day before the official start of team training. After spending his winter break in Sweden, Musiala is working intensively on his comeback to be fit for the competitive opener against VfL Wolfsburg on January 11.<br><br>
The developments in the Bundesliga at the start of the new year once again highlight the dynamics and challenges facing clubs and players. While Bayern looks ahead to the second half of the season with fresh coaching staff and Musiala’s return, Dortmund is undergoing a restructuring phase with key personnel changes. Meanwhile, St. Pauli and other clubs must compensate for injury-related absences. Football fans can look forward to seeing how these factors will impact the league in the coming weeks.