Bayern's confusing transfer window

So far in this transfer window, Bayern brought in Luis Díaz, Jonathan Tah, and Tom Bischof; on the other hand, Thomas Muller, Joao Palhinha, Eric Dier, Kingsley Coman, and Leroy Sane have all left Munich (Tottenham also made Mathys Tel’s loan permanent). Yet, despite these moves, the impression remains that the German champions have been insufficiently active in the market—especially considering Liverpool snatched Florian Wirtz from under their noses, Jamal Musiala suffered a serious injury, and the defense has long been their Achilles’ heel. It’s not easy for Max Eberl—working with Supervisory Board figures Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who still have a say in practically everything, can be very challenging, even exhausting. Current expectations are that Bayern fans should be satisfied if the club brings in two more players before the end of the transfer window. Anything beyond that would be a bonus—or would depend on further departures.

Given all this, it doesn’t seem realistic to expect Bayern to be among the very top favorites to win the Champions League. The absolute priority (since Wirtz slipped away) is still signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart, who could cover Musiala’s position while he’s injured and, in the long run, potentially “grow” into a new Thomas Muller. The Swabians have proven to be a tough nut to crack, refusing to budge from their asking price of 50–55 million, which has forced Bayern to consider alternatives. Xavi Simons was in focus briefly, while Christopher Nkunku remains an option—but only as a stopgap, for a one-year stint if Woltemade’s arrival is postponed.

The good news for Eberl and company is that the Supervisory Board has approved a “special budget” for Woltemade, meaning the deal does not depend on future sales. Bayern’s second planned signing before the window closes is a center-forward—someone who can be Harry Kane’s backup but also a versatile attacker capable of playing on the wings if needed. With speculation about a possible departure for Kim Min-jae, the Germans need to have a backup plan at center-back. Four names are mentioned: Renato Veiga, Gonçalo Inccio from Sporting, Castello Lukeba from Leipzig, and Piero Hincapie from Leverkusen.

Open gates of Allianz Arena, Colombian typhoon has arrived

Back to the wing positions, where Bayern are now short-handed… Luis Díaz’s arrival covered Leroy Sane’s departure, but Coman has also left in the meantime. It’s now certain Serge Gnabry will stay and play as a winger again, even though Vincent Kompany had been testing him as a central player in the line of three behind Kane. The chances of signing a pure winger are slim (Malick Fofana was the most frequently rumored name), meaning the highly talented 17-year-old Lenart Karl could get serious minutes.

Al Nassr saving Bayern with Coman bid

All in all, Bayern’s activity this August seems rather confused. At times, it even looks like some decisions are made hastily, and—perhaps the biggest problem—they’re losing battles at the negotiating table. It feels like they’ve lost their old bargaining power. Credit where it’s due for Luis Díaz, but who were they really competing with for the Colombian? Jonathan Tah came because Barca couldn’t guarantee immediate registration; Wirtz didn’t see a compelling vision in Kompany’s pitch… They’re sticking to their old principles—avoiding reckless spending—but they’re also not building a better squad than they had before. Increasingly, they seem satisfied with second-, third-, or even fourth-choice options. Or will they prove us wrong by the end of August?