It is by no means a forgone conclusion that Bayern Munich goalkeeper Sven Ulreich will be replaced by Alexander Nubel, according to his agent Jurgen Schwab.
Nubel signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern on January 4, and will complete a free transfer to the Allianz Arena after seeing out the current season with Schalke.
The 23-year-old, who is seen as Manuel Neuer's long-term successor, has committed to a five-year contract with the German champions which will see him remain in Bavaria until 2025.
Ulreich has been Neuer's understudy since joining Bayern from Stuttgart in 2015, taking in 69 appearances across all competitions.
The former Germany Under-21 international has picked up nine major trophies during his time at the club, including four Bundesliga titles, but hasn't seen a single minute of action this season.
Nubel is likely to push Ulreich even further down the pecking order when he joins up with his new squad later in the year, having already established himself as one of the top keepers in the country.
However, Schwab remains defiant over his client's position at the Allianz, as he told Kicker: "FC Bayern is a meritocracy in which sporting decisions are made. Let's see who ends up sitting behind Manuel Neuer on the bench."
Getty ImagesUlreich insisted that he wouldn't voluntarily give up his spot in Hansi Flick's set up during an interview with Sport1 after Nubel's transfer was announced, stating: "If I stay, I'll do everything I can to stay No.2 behind Manuel. I'm not afraid of competition."
However, he also confirmed that he would be open to securing a move away from Bayern in order to start playing week in, week out again.
"If I had the opportunity to play regularly elsewhere, I would switch and want to take this step," Ulreich added.
Nubel will be made to wait longer than originally expected for his Bayern debut due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has called a temporary halt to the 2019-20 season.
The Bundesliga has been on hiatus since early March, but teams have been cleared to return to training in small groups ahead of a possible return to action this summer.