Rudiger hails £48m 'monster' Brown as Bayern close in and Man Utd miss out

Antonio Rudiger has lavished praise on Nathaniel Brown just as the Eintracht Frankfurt full-back edges closer to a £48 million move to Bayern Munich — a deal that would end Manchester United’s hopes of signing the Germany international.

Brown, 23, has reportedly agreed personal terms with Bayern, including a five-year contract, following positive talks with head coach Vincent Kompany. Bayern and Eintracht Frankfurt continue to negotiate the fee, with an agreement understood to be close.

Rudiger, who is playing alongside Brown for Germany at the World Cup, was effusive in his assessment of the young defender. “I don’t need to say much about him, I’m positively surprised,” the former Chelsea centre-back said. “I saw how he shut down Semenyo in March.” Rudiger was referring to Germany’s 2-1 friendly win over Ghana, in which Brown successfully contained Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo.

“He’s a very calm character off the pitch, but on the pitch, he’s a monster,” Rudiger added. “These young lads are already very far ahead for their age.”

Brown underlined his credentials at the World Cup when he assisted Nico Schlotterbeck’s winner against Curacao from a corner before scoring Germany’s fifth in a 7-1 rout. The contribution took him to 12 goal involvements for club and country this season.

United were among several top clubs to have scouted Brown, with Liverpool, Barcelona, and Real Madrid also credited with interest. However, it is Bayern who have moved decisively to secure his signature.

With that avenue apparently closing, United are turning their attention to Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall as a potential alternative. The need for reinforcement in that position has become pressing: Patrick Dorgu is expected to operate further forward as a winger next season, which would leave Luke Shaw as United’s only recognised left-back.

Newcastle’s willingness to sell Hall is not guaranteed. The club recently received £69 million from Barcelona for Anthony Gordon and, having already missed out on European football next season, may not feel compelled to move on another key asset. Sandro Tonali’s future at St James’ Park is also uncertain following Newcastle’s failure to qualify for UEFA competition, adding further complexity to any potential deal.