Pep Guardiola: Possible Transfer Moves to Fit His M.O. at Bayern Munich

When Pep Guardiola waltzes into the Bayern Munich dressing room on July 1st, it's going to be a very interesting scene. The former Barcelona boss will be replacing Jupp Heynckes, with the outgoing German having led the Bavarians to a record-breaking season.

Winners of the German title by a staggering 25 points, European Cup winners and with the potential for an unprecedented treble in the weekend's German Cup final, Bayern have dominated the national and continental landscape this past season.

Guardiola arrives to take charge of a squad which currently sits on top of the European game. His job now will be to keep them there, to continue the winning habit and to simply win more.

As such, expect Die Roten to further strengthen itself over the summer—indeed it has already begun to with the arrival of Borussia Dortmund wunderkind Mario Gotze—and for Guardiola to make his mark on the squad with some of his own additions.

With that in mind, here's a look at potential transfer moves, both in and out, to fit Guardiola's perceived modus operandi as he takes the reins of the newly crowned European champions.

Buy: Laurent Koscielny

The French defender has enjoyed an excellent season at Arsenal, firmly making his mark as the club's first-choice centre-back.

Additionally, Koscielny has transitioned his club form onto the international stage and it is he and Raphael Varane who are in pole position as France's starting defensive pairing moving forward.

Such performances have landed the ex-Lorient man firmly on the radar of Guardiola, with Jack Wilson of the Daily Express reporting Guardiola will "make every effort to sign Koscielny."

With Holger Badstuber's injury troubles set to keep him sidelined for the majority of the next campaign and Daniel van Buyten's contract set to expire this summer, Bayern will likely be in the market to upgrade their defence.

Thus, Koscielny would make a logical acquisition, particularly as an alternative to current starter Jerome Boateng, a defender who similarly likes to get close to opposing strikers and attack balls into his area.

Moreover, given his quickness across the ground and decisive nature, he would be a good fit tactically to a Bayern defence that likes to push high up the pitch and could well become more extreme in that regard under their new manager.

Buy: Pedro Rodriguez

With the end of the Neymar transfer saga and his subsequent arrival at Camp Nou, Pep Guardiola could do far worse this summer than heading back to his old stomping ground to cut a deal for a player he propelled into the Barcelona first team: Pedro Rodriguez.

Certainly it's a long-shot, and neither the player nor either club have shown any inclination with regard to a deal for the Spanish international.

Nonetheless, this is a player the new Bayern boss knows inside out, a player he knows how to get the best from. Likewise, Pedro knows what Guardiola wants from his players and he has proved a major tactical weapon to Guardiola in the past.

Quick, tactically flexible and with an eye for goal, Pedro won't be without suitors if there's even the slightest of hints that he could be marginalised at Camp Nou by Neymar's introduction.

If there is even the slightest of hints that Guardiola can take his former charge to Bavaria, it's likely that he will indeed chance his arm.

Start the Charm Offensive: Jack Wilshere

From the off, any transfer at present looks like a non-starter.

According to Carl Eldridge of the Daily Star, Arsenal have made their position known and they won't be selling their prize asset this summer.

However, there is absolutely no harm in Pep Guardiola starting the charm offensive toward the 21-year-old early, in anticipation of renewing his attempts to take Wilshere to Bavaria next summer.

For if Arsenal continue in their failure to win silverware, having gone without for the past eight years, then the talented midfielder may well begin to feel that his future is best served elsewhere.

And with his cultured left foot and ability to advance through midfield, past opposing players as though they are mere statues, Guardiola may see the Arsenal No. 10 as worth the wait.

According to the Metro, Guardiola has earmarked the player as a future star for FC Hollywood. Openly keeping tabs on him now may just pay dividends later.

Sell: Mario Gomez

The German international striker became rather marginalised at the Allianz Arena this past season, thanks to a mixture of his own deficiencies and the arrival of Mario Mandzukic.

Whilst there is no doubting Gomez's goal-scoring record, his all-round game pales in comparison to the other Mario.

The Croatian's superior hold-up play, movement and ability to press entire back lines added an extra dimension to the Bavarians' game this year, when compared to Gomez's more static approach.

Additionally, throw in Guardiola's struggles in dealing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic during their year together at Camp Nou—a player with a far greater skill set than Gomez but similar linear physicality—and the best thing may be to part ways.

According to John Edwards in the Daily Mail, Chelsea are interested in a £25 million move for the striker.

Such a deal would all but pay for Bayern's pursuit of Robert Lewandowski whilst moving on a player who, according to his agent, is "not happy" at being on the fringes.

Sell: Rafinha

The Brazilian defender has had a disappointing second season with the German champions, making just six starts in the Bundesliga.

With the continuing growth of David Alaba and the consistency of captain Philipp Lahm, his chances of earning a starting role next season seems unlikely to improve.

Moreover, Bayern are well stocked for youngsters in full-back areas with Diego Contento and highly rated Mitchell Weiser, whilst Emre Can is also capable of filling in on both sides.

With that in mind, the 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena, with Sportal.de highlighting former club Schalke 04 as a potential destination.

In the end, much will depend on the player and his personal ambitions. Does he prefer to stay at a massive club, happy for a start here and there, or does he want to play more regularly?

Keep: Arjen Robben

The Dutch winger has widely been speculated as one player who will be heading through the exit door this summer. But with a man of the match performance at Wembley, the Dutchman showed that he is still amongst one of world football's most devastating attacking forces.

At the age of 29, he has shown that he still has much to give to the Bayern cause in recent months. Indeed, he has helped to change perceptions since winning his place back in the starting XI, pressing in the final third whilst also tracking back to help out his full-back in the defensive phase.

According to the Daily Mail, the likes of Manchester City have an interest in the Netherlands international. But according to  the Independent, Robben himself has spoken of his want to remain in Germany, dismissing speculation of a move away:

"

I am not dealing with this speculation. There is so much speculation but I only want to deal with football. 

I still have two years on my deal so why should I leave? It is all about performance on the pitch and in the past games, I have shown I can contribute here at Bayern.

"

For a player of such wonderful ability, Guardiola must surely find a place for Robben in his squad next season.