Where Does Bayern Munich Need to Improve — and With Who?

Piero Hincapié

It’s no secret that Bayern Munich will be in for a busy summer. After a poor season (by their standards) where the Bavarians won zero trophies for the first time since 2012, a major reshuffle is already in the works. Manager Thomas Tuchel has already headed out the door, replaced by Burnley’s Vincent Kompany in a high-risk, high-reward decision. The departures of Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bouna Sarr, and Malik Tillman have already been confirmed, too, while more will follow.

But, of course, there will be signings too. And plenty of them. Last season, Bayern’s thin squad meant that the team struggled to stay in all competitions, while many players were forced to play new positions. Joshua Kimmich, for instance, played center-mid, center defensive-mid, right-back, right-wing back, and center-back at different times last season.

Fortunately, there do appear to be some younger players ready to step up. Mathys Tel, for instance, showed promise last season and will hope for a bigger role next year, while Aleksandar Pavlović is already a regular in the starting eleven after just one season. However, this won’t be enough depth, as next year will be one of the busiest ever for Bayern — they have to play in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal, and the newly expanded Champions League and Club World Cup.

Here are my recommendations for who Bayern should sign, assuming Kompany uses some variation of Bayern’s traditional 4-2-3-1. I’ve tried to use players who are somewhat realistic, affordable, and are somewhat outside of the box.

Center-Back

Even though Bayern has signed four center-backs for at least €40 million since 2019, it continues to be a problem position. Last season, a poor decision to loan out Josip Stanišić to eventual league winners Bayer Leverkusen left Bayern extremely undermanned at the position, resulting in the eventual purchase of Eric Dier (who turned out to be surprisingly good).

Next season, Bayern will have at least four center-backs: Stanišić, Dier, Kim Min-jae, and Matthijs de Ligt. The only question mark remains Dayot Upamecano, who may be sold this summer. Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah has been floated as a potential option, but the German would be an expensive and unnecessary signing. Bayern’s four confirmed center-backs going into next season are all right-footed, and Tah isn’t a clear upgrade on Kim or De Ligt. Instead, Bayern should look to find a left-footed center-back capable of filling in at left-back if needed.

Piero Hincapié: If Bayern goes for a Leverkusen center-back, it should be Hincapié. He’s everything that Bayern’s defense needs: left-footed, can play at left-back or centrally, and he’s young but experienced. Hincapié is extremely talented on the ball, completing 91.1% of his passes and 102 progressive passes, per fbref.com — both among the best rates for Bundesliga center-backs. Think of a more attacking-minded Lucas Hernández. Leverkusen might be reluctant to sell him to Bayern, but Hincapié might be a player worth spending big on. Estimated cost: €50 million.

Mika Mármol: Don’t let Las Palmas’ 16th-place finish in La Liga fool you. Mármol had a strong season — as did most of the Las Palmas defense — and at one point they were as high as eighth in the league in February. However, they failed to win their last 14 (!) games and slid down the table, largely due to an underperforming attack that scored just eight goals during that span. Comfortable on the ball, a great passer, and an excellent defender. He has a release clause, too, so he could be a real bargain. Estimated cost: €30 million.

Marco Friedl: If Bayern is unwilling to spend much on another center-back, it might be time to bring back a familiar face. Friedl is a Bayern academy graduate, joining when he was ten and not leaving until he joined Werder Bremen at age 21. Now 26, Friedl has been a crucial player for Bremen for a few seasons, making 169 appearances and becoming the club’s captain. Friedl isn’t as capable in attack as the other options — for reference, he had just 56 progressive passes last season — but he’s consistent, a good leader, and a strong defender. Bayern could do a lot worse. Estimated cost: €10 million.

Left-Back

I reviewed the left-back position in depth back in February, so you can look at that here. There are a few updates, though. Aznou still has yet to play for the first team, but he was on the bench a few times and will likely be a part of the first team next year. Krätzig cooled off after a great start on loan in Austria. Ian Maatsen had a great loan spell with Dortmund and will leave Chelsea — his release clause is just €35 million. Bayern has not yet been in contact with Théo Hernandez, who may be willing to leave Milan. Bayern is reportedly interested in Zinchenko, however.

Honestly, it’s really hard to predict what Bayern’s left-back situation will look like next year. Madrid wants to extend Ferland Mendy and their interest in Davies has cooled, but they would still be open to signing the Canadian. Davies is now reportedly willing to stay in Munich, but he fell out of favor in the second half of the year. Either way, if Bayern brings in a left-back, an expensive replacement is not necessary. There are cheaper solutions.

Defensive Midfielder

DataMB CDM

The emergence of Aleksandar Pavlović has completely changed Bayern’s midfield. The talented 20-year-old was arguably Bayern’s best midfielder last season, adding a sorely-needed defensive presence and also being a creative, deep-lying playmaker. However, Bayern is reportedly still looking for another defensive midfielder. Unlike Pavlović, this would be a primarily defensive-minded player who does less offensively, letting the other midfielders — like Pavlović and Kimmich, when he plays in midfield — create and take on less of the defensive burdens.

Manuel Ugarte: PSG paid €60 million to bring in Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon last summer, but there are rumors that the French side may part with him after just one season. The 23-year-old struggled to secure a spot in PSG’s starting eleven, with manager Luis Enrique often opting for a more attacking-minded midfield. That wouldn’t be a problem in Munich, where they would love his destroyer presence in midfield. He’s finished with the most tackles in the Primeira Liga and Ligue 1 in back-to-back seasons. Estimated cost: €50 million.

Florentino Luís: After rough spells in Spain and France, Florentino Luís is back with Benfica and back to his old self. At least, sort of. He isn’t exactly a favorite of manager Roger Schmidt — who Bayern allegedly pursued in their search for a manager — and only started 17 league games this season, so he would likely welcome a move. A strong tackler and a hard-working midfielder, Florentino would be exactly what Bayern’s midfield needs. Only three players had more tackles (79) and five more had more interceptions (49) in the Primeira Liga. Estimated cost: €25 million.

Eric Martel: Why not pair up a recently relegated midfielder with a recently relegated manager? Köln had a rough season, being relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, but Martel still had a strong year. The 22-year-old is a physical presence in midfield and a strong tackler — only seven players in the Bundesliga won more tackles than his 70, per fbref.com. This isn’t a signing that would make Bayern immediately turn into Champions League favorites, but it would be a smart move to acquire depth and a promising midfielder for little cost. Estimated cost: €5 million.

Striker

DataMB ST

With Choupo-Moting leaving and Mathys Tel featuring on the wing more often, Bayern needs another striker. Not an expensive signing — Harry Kane is the clear starter next season, and the club will only play with one striker — but someone who can be a super-sub off the bench, start the occasional game, and be a good option in case Kane misses a match.

Joshua Zirkzee: There’s a good chance Zirkzee would reject Bayern if they offered to sign him. After all, he’s just had a strong year with Bologna, helping them qualify for the Champions League, and seemingly every club in Europe is after him. But he also has reasons to return to Munich: he would have a chance to play a bigger role at the club that gave him his first senior minutes, and under the coach (Kompany) who helped him in his breakout season with Anderlecht. Estimated cost: €40 million.

Thijs Dallinga: Bayern has a good history with Dutch players, so why not add another to the list? Dallinga has exploded onto the scene in the past three seasons, going from the Dutch second tier — where he scored 32 goals in one season — to Toulouse, where he has scored 26 Ligue 1 goals the past two seasons and won the Coupe de France. A tall, lanky striker, he would add a set-piece threat in close games. Estimated cost: €20 million.

Tim Kleindienst: Hear me out. Kleindienst might not be a typical Bayern signing — he’s 28, uncapped, and, until this season, had played just 22 matches in the Bundesliga. However, the Heidenheim forward has been one of the surprise stories of the Bundesliga, scoring 12 goals, assisting five, and putting in an enormous effort every match. No, really — Kleindienst has the most sprints in the league, the most intensive runs, and … the most fouls? As a striker? Either way, he’s a dependable and hardworking player who is a talented attacker — Bayern could do a lot worse for a backup striker. Estimated cost: €10 million.


Main Image via bayer04.de. All graphs/charts via DataMB.football.

author avatar
Charles Erb
Writer for http://thesoccergoal.com, where I focus on the beautiful game.

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