In January, FC Bayern wants and needs to step up in the transfer market. Recent statements indicate increased activity.
It wasn’t that long ago that FC Bayern’s central defense featured midfielder Leon Goretzka and right-back Noussair Mazraoui, who was also once a midfielder. Of the actual center backs – Dayot Upamecano, Min-Jae Kim, Matthijs de Ligt or Tarek Buchmann – not a single one had been available for the first round cup match in Münster (4-0).
That is to say, or rather, it also shows that not much can happen to this squad, otherwise Thomas Tuchel will have to be willing to experiment. In the league, Joshua Kimmich will be missing twice due to a red suspension, and Leon Goretzka (fractured metacarpals) and Raphael Guerreiro (torn muscle fibers) are still on the fence. That leaves Konrad Laimer as the remaining six, Joao Palhinha is still playing for Fulham.
“Did he surely say that about transfers or about his baker at Tegernsee? “
Will that change in January? Possibly. “If good arguments come our way, we are not against it in principle,” Honorary President Uli Hoeneß had said on Monday about transfer activities in the winter. “Especially if we continue to be in three competitions, you have to analyze what is needed.” So Tuchel, who had publicly described his squad as “thin” after the botched deadline day at the beginning of September, can be hopeful when Hoeneß meaningfully followed up with, “Our coach gets everything that’s needed.”
Asked about the statements of the Supervisory Board member, Tuchel answered on Tuesday with a grin with a counter question. “Did he certainly say that about transfers or about his baker at Tegernsee? The Leberkässemmel? Then it’s expensive for him, if he said so. Then we’ll get that out as soon as the transfer period opens again in January.” And in all seriousness, “We’re on it,” Tuchel said.
Absences in January
If everyone were healthy, the coach would have a choice of 20 outfield players. But since experience shows that everyone is never healthy and in January, with Kim, Mazraoui and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, three professionals will still be away for up to four weeks at the Asian Championship and the Africa Cup respectively, the Munich team will definitely have to step up. “You know what four weeks can mean with our game schedule,” Tuchel notes. “That’s why, of course, we have our eyes and ears open and try to strengthen our team, as always. I hope we succeed in doing that. It’s not easy in the winter. “
